It should come to no surprise that Durham Regional Police have distracted driving campaigns. The campaigns typically result in hundreds of people getting fined for distracted driving and other offences.

A two-week driving enforcement campaign in Whitby that just wrapped up resulted in over 400 tickets with the majority being for distracted driving.

In response to concerns from the community Central West Division in Whitby conducted a 2 week road safety initiative. The majority of time was spent at the intersection of Thickson Road South and Dundas Street East.

During the first week, police issued 178 Provincial Offence Notices for distracted driving and 49 other charges for infractions such as seatbelts not being used and driving without a license or insurance. Officers arrested eight suspended drivers and made two other arrests.

The second week saw the team issue 156 Provincial Offence Notices for distracted driving and 59 other charges, including two suspended drivers and one additional arrest. The total tally includes 334 distracted driving charges, 108 other charges (including 10 suspended drivers) and three arrests (2 outstanding warrants, 1 theft in progress in the area).

The Traffic Safety Coordinator for Central West Division, Constable Ron Carquez, urges all motorists to pay attention when behind the wheel. He also wants to remind the public it is not permitted to check your phone while stopped at a traffic light and he urges the public to invest in a dashboard mount, so drivers can operate their phones hands free.