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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 28 ,2 01 9 | 12 Don't miss out! Visit website for details and to register! georgetownsoccerclub.com SUMMER CAMP and PARENT AND TOT PROGRAM registration also available Look forward to the summer by signing up now for the world's most popular game. Soccer is fun, affordable, great exercise and builds social skills. REGISTER NOW FOR OUTDOOR HOUSE LEAGUE coupon We are Diesel Vehicle Specialists! Fleet Maintenance/ Programs Available JuSt ASk! Best Pricing on All Products 20 Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown ✃ ✃ Certified Mechanics on Duty 905-877-1237 TIRES! All Sizes All Brands Silver 2018 Halton Hills Auto, Truck & Trailer Service and Certification We have Anco All Season Wiper Blades! only $7.49/ea installed. TIRES! Most Vehicles + TAX Most Vehicles $3995 only • Oil & Filter Change • Antifreeze Check • Lubrication • 52 point inspection • Battery & Wiper Blade Check • FREE FLUID TOP UPS Special!* MAinTenAnce * Up to 6 Ltr. Limited time offer • Upgrade to synthetic from $15 extra. DEKA BATTERIES • HIGH QUALITY • LOW COST All Sizes Available ~ Auto & Commercial Car & Truck, ATV, RV, Motorcycles, Snowmobiles & More! Car & T RV Const. Marc Taraso was hoping he wasn't going to be busy. It was New Year's Day and since the majority of the tickets he issues as a member of Halton region- al police's regional re- sponse unit are for dis- tracted driving, he hoped the stiffer penalties that were kicking in that day would discourage drivers from picking up their phones. He had driven just four kilometres from the sta- tion before he pulled up be- side an SUV stopped at a red light. He watched as the driver, who had two young kids in the back seat, picked up her phone and read a text message for about 10 seconds. Eight minutes after starting his shift, Taraso was handing out his first distracted driving ticket of the year. The driver, who a day earlier would have re- ceived a $490 fine, was in- stead hit with a $615 fine (it can climb as high as $1,000 if you try to fight it in court and lose), a three-day li- cence suspension and three demerit points. "I thought that would have been the time people would have been on their best behaviour," Taraso said. The stiffer penalties didn't appear to have a lot of impact in the early days of 2019. In the first 17 days NEWS The number of tickets for distracted driving in Halton have dropped by almost 50 per cent since stiffer penalties came into effect Jan. 1. That would indicate people are keeping their phones out of their hands, but a Halton officer tasked with traffic safety said too many people are still willing to take the risk. Cst. Marc Taraso said it is not uncommon for him to issue as many as 10 distracted driving tickets during a 12-hour shift. Cst. Marc Taraso Twitter TOUGHER DISTRACTED DRIVING PENALTIES FINALLY HAVING AN IMPACT HERB GARBUTT hgarbutt@metroland.com See - page 13