Stay off your phone: Quebec police hand out over 1,900 tickets for distracted driving in operation
Almost 2,000 Quebec drivers learned the lesson police and concerned motorists have been advocating for since cellphones came into existence: Stay off your phone while driving.
Police forces across the province, in collaboration with the SAAQ (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec) and Contrôle routier Québec (CRQ), launched Operation Distraction 2021 from Sept. 10 to 16.
They handed out more than 1,900 tickets to drivers using a hand-held electronic device or tablet while driving, Quebec provincial police said in a news release.
"Using a hand-held electronic device or display screen while driving reduces a driver's attention and concentration and increases the risk of being involved in a collision," the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said. "Distracted driving also greatly increases the risk of committing other traffic violations because you take your eyes off the road."
If caught using a phone while on the road, drivers can receive a fine, but if they cause an accident, injury or death, criminal charges could follow.
"It can go very far," said SQ spokesperson Audrey-Anne Bilodeau. "There are a lot of infractions."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.