A local man is more than $600 in the hole after being ticketed by Barrie police for driving while using his handheld device to film a crash.
A 35-year-old Barrie man learned that lesson Wednesday and received a $615 ticket after officers spotted the driver filming at the scene of a collision, said Barrie police communications coordinator Peter Leon.
“Driving with a handheld communication device in your hand and filming police at the scene … is not only unsafe, it’s against the law,” Leon said of the accused attempting to be a mobile amateur videographer.
“People will do it for whatever reason, but it’s extremely dangerous," he added. "Our officers are out there doing their job and trying to clear a collision and open up the roadways as quickly as they can and something like this is only going to create a bigger problem if something more serious happens.
“I am sure people driving around see people on their phones when they have the ability to converse via hands-free … that allows you to drive your vehicle properly.”
Leon said the driver was “quite shocked” to receive a ticket.
After observing him filming while driving, Leon said an officer jumped in their car and was able to pull the man over.
“We also had a second officer deal with another motorist under similar circumstances," he added. "There is no reason for this. It should not be happening.
“The legislation is there for us to enforce the law and we are doing our best to keep the roads as safe as we can.”
