Talking, texting or typing while driving will now cost you

THORNHILL, ON, Feb. 1 /CNW/ - Drivers caught chatting, dialing or texting while behind the wheel will now be slapped with a fine of up to $500 . The distracted driving law came into effect three months ago and the grace period is over.

"CAA South Central Ontario is reminding motorists to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel," said Silvana Aceto , spokesperson for CAA SCO. "The ban on hand-held devices steers drivers in the right direction."

Today, police will begin handing out tickets to those violating the law. The only exception to the ban is a 9-1-1 call.

Meanwhile, hands-free cell phones are legal and global positioning systems are allowed only if they are attached to the dashboard and the destination is keyed in before driving.

Studies show that a driver using a cell phone is four times more likely to be in a crash than a driver focused on the road. Dialing and texting have been found to carry the highest degree of risk of all cell phone-related activities.

CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club offering insurance, travel, automotive care and roadside services. There are more than 1.8 million CAA members in South Central Ontario and 5 million members in Canada . Visit www.caasco.com.

For further information: Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Specialist, CAA SCO, 60 Commerce Valley, Drive East, Thornhill, ON, L3T 7P9, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone], and/or Jason Ballantyne, Manager, communications, CAA SCO, [email protected], [phone], Cell: [phone]