New approach to distracted drivers
Posted Apr 19, 2012 11:56:13 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ottawa Police is using a new approach to curb distracted drivers. Constable Marc Soucy says it has worked in other jurisdictions with success and they want to give it a try. One officer is undercover, dressed as a panhandler. He looks for drivers talking on a cellphone and calls ahead to uniformed officers who issue a $155 ticket. Soucy tells 1310News, it is taking many by surprise. ” We’ve even had people throw money at the officer and one elderly lady gave the officer an apple thinking he was a homeless person”.
Soucy says Ottawa Police are seeing an increase in distracted driving and is hopeful this new method will reduce the problem. He tells 1310News, police will also target those not wearing their seatbelts or have their children improperly in their car seats. ” I even saw a guy a couple of days ago shaving while he was driving”.
In the last two days at one intersection, Ottawa Police issued 174 tickets including 71 for distracted driving.
