How many people in your neighbourhood were convicted of distracted driving? Scroll down to see detailed interactive maps.
GTA drivers convicted of texting or using hand-held cell phones are more likely to live in deep suburbia, data shows.
The Aldershot neighborhood in Burlington has the region’s highest rate — 8.2 distracted driving convictions per 1,000 licenced drivers from June 2010 to June 2011. Aldershot is followed by Kleinburg, north Orangeville, two postal codes in the north end of Hamilton, north Pickering, the east side of St. Catharines and downtown Burlington.
“In the city of Burlington, distracted driving is a problem. we see it on every road, in every area,” Sgt. Chantal Corner of Halton Regional Police told reporter Laura Zilke Wednesday.
More generally in the GTA, distracted driving rates were highest in rural Halton, Caledon, Vaughan, Orangeville and rural Pickering. Rates were lowest in the central city, Scarborough and eastern North York. Hamilton and St. Catharines have the reverse pattern, with higher rates in central areas.
GTA top postal codes for distracted drivers
| 1) L7T | Aldershot |
| 2) L0J | Kleinburg |
| 3) L9V | N of Orangeville |
| 4) L0H | North Pickering |
| 5) L7R | Downtown Burlington |
| 6) L7E | NE Caledon: Bolton, Palgrave |
| 7) L9T | Milton |
| 8) L4L | Woodbridge |
| 9) L7M | Burlington: Upper Middle Road/Walkers Line area |
| 10) L7C | South Caledon |
Data was obtained by globalnews.ca from the Ministry of Transportation under access-to-information laws. It is based on the first three characters of the driver’s home postal code. It is the first look at who gets charged with distracted driving in Ontario since the law took effect in 2009.
Rates in the 416 are consistently lower (none appear on the GTA top 10).
- RCMP arrests alleged hitmen accused of killing B.C. Sikh leader
- Fall COVID-19 vaccine guidelines are out. Here’s what NACI recommends
- Some 2019 candidates ‘appeared willing’ to engage with foreign interference: Hogue inquiry
- Thousands of Canada’s rail workers have a strike mandate. What happens now?
Toronto top postal codes for distracted drivers
| 1) M5V | Waterfront condo neighbourhood: King, Spadina |
| 2) M5N | North Forest Hill |
| 3) M8X | Kingsway |
| 4) M4E | Eastern Beaches |
| 5) M4K | Riverdale |
| 6) M4L | Western Beaches/Leslieville |
| 7) M1N | Scarborough Beaches/Birchcliff |
| 8) M8Y | Etobicoke: Sunnylea/Prince Edward Drive S |
| 9) M3K | Downsview |
| 10 M6S | Bloor West Village/Swansea |
The highest rates in the 416 are in M5V, the condo neighbourhood around Bathurst, Spadina and the lakeshore, then M5N: Forest Hill, then M8X: the Kingsway, then M4E: the eastern Beaches, then M4K: Riverdale, then M4L: western Beaches/Leslieville).
Distracted driving offences in Ontario include talking or texting on a mobile device or having a video screen visible to the driver. 29,865 Ontario drivers were convicted of distracted driving between June 2010 and June 2011.
The OPP has a scheduled crackdown on distracted driving this week, one of several this year.
Some drivers are trying to avoid charges and also use the phone by hiding it, Corner says. But that makes the problem worse:
“Now that the legislation has been put in place, people are holding their cell phones down in their lap, so we can’t see what’s going on. This in itself is a problem, because primarily before they used to hold them at the top of the steering wheel and still be looking out ahead of them, but now their eyes are 100 per cent off the road, looking down in their lap and they’re definitely not ready for that split second decision that they may have to make.”
All 10 provinces now have distracted driving laws in place. Alberta, the last province to bring in a distracted driving law – it took effect at the beginning of September – forbids hand-held electronic devices and also “laptop computers, video games, cameras, video entertainment displays, writing, printing or sketching and personal grooming.”
See more on Global Toronto tonight at 6 p.m.
Comments