Police in Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada made a concerted effort to crack down on distracted driving over the recent holiday. Referred to as Operation Impact, the police initiative was focused on certain distracted driving behaviours that are known to increase the occurrence of car accidents. After months of educational campaigns on distracted driving, one sergeant said that it was time to enforce the laws.
Police officers in Halifax conducted traffic stops during Operation Impact. During the stops, they reminded drivers to buckle seat belts and refrain from cellphone use while behind the wheel. Officers were also looking for impaired drivers and cautioning motorists about the risks of drinking and driving.
A sergeant working on the operation commented that texting and driving increased a driver’s chance of being involved in a car accident by 30 percent. He said that officers were ready to issue a ticket to a driver for hand-held cellphone use as soon as the driver was spotted with a phone in their hand. The weekend of Thanksgiving was selected as the time to get serious about enforcing these kinds of laws because more people would be on the road.
A person who has been injured as a direct result of the negligent actions of a distracted driver may have a case for filing a personal injury complaint. If criminal charges were filed against the driver, police reports from the incident, toxicology test results and court documents may help to build a strong civil claim. Because it may be difficult for injured victims of a car accident to build the case themselves, victims often enlist the assistance of a lawyer while filing a personal injury claim.
Source: CBC News, «Halifax Police cracking down on distracted driving over holiday«, October 10, 2014