Video: Canadian police's genius way to catch texting, distracted drivers

The Ontario police are using a new method - genius in its simplicity - to catch drivers on their phones and doing other things that distract them.

 

Cyclists can campaign hard for better infrastructure to make us safer on the roads and we can light up like Christmas trees and wear our helmets.

But there's not much that's going to protect us from a distracted driver.

Those who get behind the wheel and use their phones and even their laptops, read their newspapers or put make-up on or have a shave are an accident waiting to happen.

And if they hit us in their cars while we're cycling; we will always come off second best.

So following on from UK police going undercover as cyclists to catch those driving dangerously or with disregard for cyclists, this clip from Canada really caught our eye.

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The focus of this new form of policing - see video below - is not to specifically make the roads safer for cyclists. Rather, it improves safety for all road users.

But given the vulnerability of cyclists to distracted drivers, this is great news for those of us on two wheels.

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Police officers in Ontario have simply been getting on local buses and looking out the window at the passing traffic.

If they see a driver doing something they shouldn't be, they relay the car registration via their radio to colleagues in police cars who then pull them over.

And if there are no police cars close by, the officer on the bus simply takes all the details of the incident along with the car registration, colour and model as well as the time, location and nature of the incident.

They can even complete the paperwork to file details of the offence on their lap as they sit on the bus.

"We can't be everywhere at all times, but if we're able to make the observations on these main roadways we know the message will get out there," says Sgt Mark Van Wolde.

He added the exercise resulted in officers engaging more with the public on the buses, with some even aiding their look-out.

People regarded their cars as "their own little area", but the reality was that space could affect other road users in a massive way,” said Van Wolde.

"It can only take a moment for a tragedy to happen; we want to make sure that it doesn't."

 

How they're doing it in Ontario