Important: Effective December 26, 2020, CAA Niagara Branch locations will be temporarily closed in accordance with the Province of Ontario's provincewide shut-down. Emergency roadside assistance will continue to operate 24/7.
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Driven to Distraction Proves Costly

Welland Tribune, September 17 Most motorists were blissfully unaware of the young man standing at the busy intersection.

Many drivers were so immersed in their phone conversations that they didn't notice the man as he jotted down information on a clip board and then discreetly radioed his colleagues.

The man standing at the corner of Taylor Rd. and Glendale Ave. in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Wednesday was a Niagara Regional Police officer and a key figure in an initiative that targeted distracted drivers.

If the plain-clothed officer spotted a driver using a telephone or other hand-held device, he contacted officers who were stationed nearby and the motorist was pulled over.

"We've had a wide range of reactions from drivers," said NRP Staff Sgt. Dave Brennan.
"We've had everything from immediate acceptance and regret to out and out anger."

The initiative began at 7:30 a.m. with the undercover officer stationed at a Dorchester Rd. intersection and then moved to Taylor Rd. near the new outlet mall in Niagara-on-the-Lake.