Deaths related to distracted driving are increasing in Ontario: report

When it comes to fines for distracted driving, Ontario has some of the strictest laws in the country, but people are still being charged regularly.

A new report from HelloSafe compiles data from a variety of government sources and the Canadian Automobile Association.

It found that deaths related to distracted driving are up by 36 per cent in two years. In total, 18 per cent of fatal collisions are caused by distracted driving.

Those stats translate into 105 people being killed in 2022 as a result of distracted driving

Next to speeding, the report said distracted driving is the second biggest cause of traffic deaths in Canada.

“Distracted driving is not only about texting but it can also be about eating and drinking, it can be about grooming, about programming a GPS,” said Alexandre Desoutter, editor-in-chief of HelloSafe.

“It's very important to be cautious.”

Timmins police officials said the statistics concerning, but they are not entirely surprised.

“Without painting one demographic into a corner, yes, it seems as though the younger generation is overly consumed with phone usage and staying up to date," said Marc Depatie, communications co-ordinator for the Timmins Police Service.

"This multi-tasking while driving, we can’t discourage that strongly enough."

Not only are Ontarians fined for driving while distracted, they also lose insurance points and can have their driver's licence suspended up to 30 days for a third offence.