Eighty-two people died on Ontario highways last year due to drivers who weren’t paying attention behind the wheel, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.
The death toll is a 43 per cent increase from that of 2023, when there were 57 deaths due to distracted driving or driver inattention, and it is highest number in six years, the OPP says.
“If you’re not looking where you’re going, you’re not paying attention,” Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the OPP’s Highway Safety Division, said in a video on X. “You’re not adjusting your driving to the conditions, you’re putting yourself at risk.”
Schmidt said drivers are not only distracted by cell phones, but also by other things inside or outside vehicles.
“You need to have your full attention on the task of driving, hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road and your mind thinking about where you’re going and what’s coming next,” Schmidt said.
Six people have died on OPP-patrolled highways in January this year due to distracted driving, according to Schmidt.
“We can’t have these numbers continue. We need to pay attention,” he said.
“It’s not just getting a ticket, having a license suspended upon conviction or paying a hefty fine. You need to understand the consequences of being distracted. It could claim a life. It could claim your own life or someone you love. Please put down the phone, eyes on the road and drive safe.”
Number of deaths shocking but preventable, expert says
Michael Stewart, community relations consultant for Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), said the number of deaths is shocking but distracted driving is easily preventable and it is a choice to engage in the behaviour.
“We really want to remind everyone that, especially as we start the new year, we want to make sure that you aren’t driving distracted. Get all distractions out of your system before you drive,” Stewart said.
“Set your phone on Do Not Disturb. Don’t be tempted to look at it behind the wheel.”
Stewart said distractions do not only involve cell phones.
“Vehicles nowadays, they have a lot of different features, whether they be safety features, entertainment features, There’s huge infotainment systems in modern cars. And what’s really important is that you familiarize yourself with them,” Stewart said.
“While on the road is not the time to figure out how your infotainment system works, or to figure out how that console works. You want to make sure that you’re taking that time beforehand to familiarize yourself with it and even taking that time to set everything up before you drive.”