You’d think a $490 ticket would get the point across.
Ottawa Police say, during a distracted driving blitz Thursday evening, 39 people were ticketed for using their cell phones while driving.
This blitz was only two hours long.
Not only that, police say they saw even more distracted drivers, but they were so busy issuing tickets that some people slipped through the cracks.
And it’s not like they were undercover or hiding.
“We were in full uniform, standing beside the road in full view of drivers,” Traffic Sergeant Robert Cairns said in a statement. “We were still getting violators. This proves what a distraction the cell phone is.”
In addition to the $490 fine, a distracted driving offense also comes with three demerit points. That warrants an automatic warning letter. If you rack up even more you could have your driver’s licence suspended. The penalties for demerit points are even harsher for novice drivers.