Distracted driving study to focus on school zones and elevated-risk areas
The Windsor Police Service and a researcher at the University of Windsor are teaming up to study distracted driving in school zones and other elevated-risk areas of the city.
Francesco Biondi, an expert in how drivers behave behind the wheel, will be leading the study together with Barry Horrobin, director of planning and physical resources at Windsor police.
The project will measure the prevalence of distracted driving and the impact of things like school zone signs and traffic volumes on driver distraction within selected study locations.
UWindsor officials say the goal is to identify areas that need targeted safety campaigns or more police presence and show the consequences of distracted driving on local roadways.
"This project has the potential to improve safety on Windsor streets,” said Biondi. “We will be able to pinpoint areas where distracted driving is most dangerous and make recommendations on how the police can address those problem areas.”
Biondi, a researcher in UWindsor’s Faculty of Human Kinetics, has secured a grant of nearly $25,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to conduct the study.
Windsor police will contribute staff consultative time and perspective to the project and the University of Windsor will contribute about $14,000 in equipment and technological support.
"This partnership with Dr. Biondi and the University of Windsor offers the Windsor Police Service an excellent collaboration opportunity to address a safety concern that exists on our local roadways,” said Horrobin. "Collecting this information in a comprehensive study will create an evidence-based platform for informing future policy decisions to enhance community safety of our roadways.”
Biondi’s past research on distracted driving shows that the most dangerous examples include talking on a cellphone, texting and using a vehicle’s touchscreen.
"Despite high fines, distracted driving is not letting up,” he said.
The study is already in the planning stages. Researchers will collect data over a 12-month period beginning in July.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976871.1721873052!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
DEVELOPING Jasper updates: Wildfire reaches townsite
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park has reached the townsite.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.