The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

21 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,M arch 28,2019 theifp.ca LEATHERTOWN LUMBER www. .ca Limited quantity on saLe items. WhiLe suppLies Last. 264 Main St. N., Acton 519-853-1970 416-601-1259 LeatheRtoWn LumBeR is the ContRaCtoR's ChoiCe FoR BuiLdinG mateRiaL seRViCe and quaLity you Can BuiLd on HOT BUY $99.99 WAS: $129.99 $89.99 WAS: $119.99$8.99 WAS:$13.99 6-Cu. Ft. Wheelbarrow Heavy steel tray, steel handles with non slip grips, heavy duty undercarriage with stabilizer and 16" flat free tire. 12-in. Construction Blades Combo pk. For table saws and miter saws. Includes 12" 32 teeth and 12" 80 teeth blades. 6991897 1-3/4-in. x 12-1/2-in. pry Bar Forged, high-carbon steel, contoured bar. Beveled nail slot at both ends. 6475362 4029732 905.877.5236 web@nhgcc.ca | www.nhgcc.ca Insta Halton Hills' Premier Location for Golf, Curling, Corporate and Special Events. Creating great smiles New Patients Welcome Family and Cosmetic Dentistry marketplace Dental Centre Georgetown Marketplace Mall 905-877-CARE (2273) • www.georgetowndental.com HOURS: Monday & Wednesday 8:00am - 8:00pm • Tuesday & Thursday 8:00am - 6:00pm • Saturday 8:00am - 3:00pm Proudly Serving Georgetown Since 1994. as likely to use their phone while driving. "I'll watch them at a light, and I'm expecting them to put it down, but then I watch them take off and they're still using their phone." Even if you think put- ting your phone down af- ter sending a text at a stop- light is going to spare you a ticket, you're wrong. "The reason I tell them is, if you've got your head buried in your phone and a child is crossing the street and drops something, you haven't seen that kid crouch down," said the 11- year veteran of Halton po- lice. "You look up and start driving and that child is under your vehicle." In 2017, the OPP report- ed 82 people were killed in accidents on Ontario high- ways where distracted driving was a contributing factor. That was almost double the 42 deaths caused by im- paired driving. It was the fifth straight year distract- ed driving had contributed to the most deaths on high- ways patrolled by the OPP. In 2018, that number fell to 55, the lowest total in a decade. It was also sur- passed by speed as the leading contributor to fa- tal accidents. Ontario introduced dis- tracted driving laws in 2009. Fines have been in- creased a few times, to the point that only Manitoba has harsher penalties ($672 fine, three-day sus- pension and five demerit points). Ontario is the hardest on repeat offenders, though. Maximum fines increase to $2,000 and $3,000 with subsequent convictions. Demerit points rise to six for repeat offenders and licence sus- pensions increase to seven days for a second offence and 30 days for a third. Taraso recently issued a driver her fourth dis- tracted driving ticket. But if you think it is young drivers that are the problem, you would be wrong. Taraso said it's the 30-50-year-old age range that he encounters the most. "The youngest drivers, the teens, are the most re- sponsible. They've grown up in an age where it's al- ways been illegal. It's something the new crop of drivers have always had," he said. "It's kind of like seat- belts. People who have al- ways had the seatbelt law wouldn't think of getting in a car without putting it on. For those who were driv- ing before (distracted driv- ing laws), it's a matter of breaking a habit and changing their beha- viour." NEWS Continued from page 13 ONTARIO IS THE HARDEST ON REPEAT OFFENDERS VISIT THEIFP.CA TO READ CURRENT AND PAST INVESTIGATIONS