Admit it. You’re guilty of having taken your eyes off the road while driving on Riverside Drive lately, trying to see how high the Mattagami River is.
City police communications coordinator Marc Depatie says it’s the cause of several collisions and near-collisions along Riverside Drive.
“A high number of traffic complaints are being received due to motorists in that area taking note of the water levels of the Mattagami River, rather than focusing on the task of driving,” he tells My Timmins Now Dot Com.
Photo credit: Scott Armstrong, Moose FM
“It’s fine for the passengers to undertake that, but the driver must be accountable for how his vehicle is being driven. Those persons who are found to be driving in a distracted fashion or an unsafe fashion, they can rightfully expect a firm but fair response at the roadside by Timmins police officers.”
Depatie suggests pulling over – at the parking lot just west of the bridge, for instance — getting out and taking pictures of the river, if you want, instead of losing focus on driving while you look.