Distracted Driving

Canadian, international experts to tackle distracted driving at Toronto conference

Distracted driving using cellphone while driving
March 1, 2012

Today, the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) are hosting the Driven to Distraction Conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Canadian and international experts representing law enforcement, advocacy, academia, government and industry will come together to discuss ways to combat texting while driving and other forms of distraction. A recent CAA survey shows that 94% of Canadians are aware that texting while driving  is illegal in their home province, yet over 50% say that they don’t believe legislation is having any impact on this practice.

“Legislation, enforcement, and public education need to work hand in hand to deal with the dangerous, growing problem of distracted driving, and that is what this conference is all about,” said Jeff Walker, CAA Vice President of Public Affairs. “We’re committed to advancing the dialogue and identifying practical ideas to protect Canadians on and around our streets.”

This is the first major Canadian conference of its type since 2005 when CAA and TIRF hosted the International Conference on Distracted Driving. In the morning, expert panels will discuss emerging technologies, the range of distractions in the modern vehicle and lessons learned from cell phone use.  Afternoon panels will consider experiences in legislation and enforcement and how best to influence public behaviour. A simultaneous webcast of the sessions will be broadcast free of charge (Registration).

Jeff Walker, Vice President of Public Affairs at CAA, Robyn Robertson, President and CEO of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), and Toronto Police Service Constable Hugh Smith are available for comment. Please contact Alayne Crawford to arrange for an interview.

For more on the International Conference on Distracted Driving, visitwww.distracteddriving.ca. In addition, follow the co-host organizations throughout the day on Twitter at @CAA or @TIRFCANADA or using the conference hashtag #driven2distract.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Alayne Crawford
Manager of Public Affairs
613-796-9404
[email protected]