An alarming number of Ontario teens are texting while driving.
A province-wide survey conducted for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) discovered that one third of licensed Ontario students in grades 10 to 12 – an estimated 108,000 drivers – admit to texting behind the wheel of a vehicle at least once in the past year.
And the habit is worse among the older drivers in the survey. 46 percent of those in grade 12 said they have texted while driving.
“I’ve seen it happening. It’s very common,” says 17-year-old Jonathan Arsenault of Ottawa. “People are always connected to their phone so they always want to know what’s happening right now.”
According to the CAA, drivers who engage in text messaging are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near-crash event compared to non-distracted drivers.
“We’ve seen a lot of fatalities out there and this is one of the causes,” says Constable Chuck Benoit of the Ottawa Police Service. He also points out the infraction carries a fine of up to $500.
Many young drivers feel they can get away with texting because they can keep the phone down and out of sight – often referred to as lap texting. Ironically, that makes it even more dangerous. “They're actually putting down the phone to hide it so their head has to go downwards to actually see what they're typing which is even more distracting, because now you don't even have your eyes at the street level,” says Benoit.
As to how to fix the problem, there might be a sign of hope in the same CAMH survey. It also shows rates of teenage drinking and driving are at an all-time low. The experts say that shows driving habits can be changed over time. "What we've learned from drinking and driving is that it takes a concerted effort,” says Dr. Robert Mann of the CAMH. “People need to recognize it. We need legislation. We need the schools, teachers, and parents to be involved."
