(Toronto, ON) Today, the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) is applauding the Ontario government’s recent passing of legislation to improve road safety.

According to the Ontario Government, the new act will: ‘increase fines for distracted drivers from the current range of $60 to $500 to a range of $300 to $1,000, assigning three demerit points upon conviction, and escalating sanctions on convictions for novice drivers.’ [source: Ministry of Transportation (MTO)] Research has proven that distracted drivers are four times more likely to be in a collision than focused drivers.

The act will also introduce added methods to appropriately deal with repeat impaired driving offenders.

A partnership for longer than a decade, IBAO has been working with Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving (OSAID) to inform Ontario drivers about the dangers of driving while under the influence. In recent years, with the dramatic incline of technological innovation, OSAID has been working with students across the province educating them on the dangers of distracted driving.

MTO reports that if current collision trends continue, fatalities from distracted driving may exceed those from drinking and driving by 2016.

“Ontario brokers care deeply about keeping the citizens in their communities safe,” said Michael Brattman, IBAO President. “Collisions caused by distracted driving are preventable. We hope that with Tuesday’s announcement, all drivers across the province will be reminded of the serious dangers involved with such actions. Brokers would like to see the fines become a motivator of compliance and result in safer roads and drivers across Ontario.”

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