Ontario distracted driving deaths up from 1 year ago [Video]

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says the number of fatal collisions caused by distracted driving on the roads it patrols has increased more 40 per cent compared to this time last year.

The OPP primarily patrols the province’s highways and says it has recorded a total of 296 fatal crashes so far this year – of those, 63 people were killed in collisions where inattentiveness was the main cause.

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This is compared to mid-October’s number in 2023 that saw a total of 287 people killed in collisions, where 43 of those were due to distracted driving.

“It’s surprising because I’ve seen the number grow over the years,” said OPP Highway Safety Division Sgt. Sami Nasr, who adds that there could be a multitude of reasons why a driver would be distracted, but that most of …