Police officers across the land are witnessing some pretty dangerous actions behind the wheel. Here are a few examples:
- A young male driver sending a text message and not noticing that his car was slowly drifting across the yellow line... until he drove head first into a truck;
- A 16-year-old female driver checking her messages while riding a scooter;
- A car driver being so distracted by the text message he was writing that he nearly hit a pedestrian on the sidewalk;
- A man texting while driving at 90 km/h on a small byroad and passing other vehicles (that got him 13 demerit points and a $2,378 fine!);
- An inattentive driver overlooking a red light and creating a three-car collision, all because of a simple text message.
Of course, people's habits and mindset won't change overnight. Take seat belts, for instance: some drivers are still ignoring them more than 30 years after they became mandatory!
''How is a text message or email more important than human life? How can you possibly choose your cell phone over your loved ones?'' Mathieu Fortin, whose girlfriend Emy rear-ended a truck and died because she was too busy texting, would really like to know.
In North Bay, Ontario, Sydney and Suzanne Soulière's 18-year-old son passed away as a result of a driving distraction. ''For his sake and all he's accomplished, we implore you to stay focused behind the wheel,'' the parents warn all Canadians. ''There is just no excuse. Distractions can kill or injure, not only yourself but also other road users. We hope that the death of our son and others who died in similar fashion will serve as a strong reminder.''
Chances are you're not among the offenders, but what about your kids and other family members? Make sure they get the message – for real. We used to live without any cell phones, emails and answering machines; why must we now stay in touch at all costs?
Driving offers a nice opportunity to escape from the daily grind and stress, so keep your hands off your phone and on your steering wheel!
- A young male driver sending a text message and not noticing that his car was slowly drifting across the yellow line... until he drove head first into a truck;
- A 16-year-old female driver checking her messages while riding a scooter;
- A car driver being so distracted by the text message he was writing that he nearly hit a pedestrian on the sidewalk;
- A man texting while driving at 90 km/h on a small byroad and passing other vehicles (that got him 13 demerit points and a $2,378 fine!);
- An inattentive driver overlooking a red light and creating a three-car collision, all because of a simple text message.
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Of course, people's habits and mindset won't change overnight. Take seat belts, for instance: some drivers are still ignoring them more than 30 years after they became mandatory!
''How is a text message or email more important than human life? How can you possibly choose your cell phone over your loved ones?'' Mathieu Fortin, whose girlfriend Emy rear-ended a truck and died because she was too busy texting, would really like to know.
In North Bay, Ontario, Sydney and Suzanne Soulière's 18-year-old son passed away as a result of a driving distraction. ''For his sake and all he's accomplished, we implore you to stay focused behind the wheel,'' the parents warn all Canadians. ''There is just no excuse. Distractions can kill or injure, not only yourself but also other road users. We hope that the death of our son and others who died in similar fashion will serve as a strong reminder.''
Chances are you're not among the offenders, but what about your kids and other family members? Make sure they get the message – for real. We used to live without any cell phones, emails and answering machines; why must we now stay in touch at all costs?
Driving offers a nice opportunity to escape from the daily grind and stress, so keep your hands off your phone and on your steering wheel!