Ontario Provincial Police laid 470 charges and issued 468 warnings to drivers caught breaking the rules in the first month of the province’s new distracted driver law.
Drivers are banned from using cellphones, iPods or other hand-held devices or electronic display screens while driving.
The rule came into effect Oct. 26, and a three-month grace period offered to educate drivers ended in January. OPP officers issued 3,300 warnings during the grace period.
Officers can still give drivers warnings on a discretionary basis, Const. Graham Williamson said.
Charges and warnings from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28 do not include those issued by local police departments.
“We’ve noticed a reduction in drivers using devices, so there are more people complying, but there are also more people trying to conceal their use of cellphones while driving,” said Const. Hugh Smith of Toronto’s traffic services.
“It’s not so much crafty at all. It’s just dangerous. They’re lowering their phones out of view of the window and before they’d hold it by the steering wheel so at least they could look ahead.”
Williamson said there was only “anecdotal” evidence of safer roads because drivers disobeying the law usually see a police cruiser first and put their phones away.
The OPP handed out the most fines – 155 – in the GTA.
Drivers can challenge the $155 ticket in court, where a judge can lower the penalty to $60.
In Halton, which covers Oakville, Burlington and Milton, officers charged 245 drivers in a month.
A Milton officer caught a driver turning left at a major intersection with his right hand holding his phone to his ear and his left hand clutching a piece of paper on the wheel, said Sgt. Brian Carr