Leave the Phone Alone traffic safety initiative results in 79 tickets

_ (press release) _ As part of the _ Leave the Phone Alone _ distracted driving enforcement campaign, officers from Ottawa Police and Gatineau Police conducted a city wide enforcement blitz

Tuesday

morning, targeting drivers using cell phones.

In total, Ottawa and Gatineau Police issued 79 Provincial Offence Notices (PON) to drivers for using handheld communication devices.

“With advance warning about

Tuesday’s

campaign, we were pleased to see that drivers heeded the warning to focus on their driving,” said Sgt. Denis Hull, Ottawa Police Service.  “These traffic initiatives serve as a reminder that distracted driving is dangerous every day and drivers should always make the choice to leave the phone alone.”

In the 2015 Public Survey , distracted driving was listed as the number one concern of residents.

Everyone has a role to play in preventing texting or talking while driving:

 * 
Drivers can simply put the phone away while driving;

 * 
Passengers can remind drivers to focus on their driving if they reach for the phone;

 * 
Children can remind parents not to drive distracted;

 * 
Phone users can first ensure that the person they are calling or texting isn’t driving. If they are, tell them to wait until they can safely talk or text.

You can take the pledge not to text and drive at Leavethephonealone.ca .