The North Bay Police Service is deploying officers on city buses and exploring camera enforcement to catch drivers using cellphones [1, 2, 3].

This initiative aims to reduce distracted-driving incidents and lower motor-vehicle collision deaths, which the department said remain high in the city [2, 4].

These tactics are part of a comprehensive Multi-Year Traffic Management and Safety Plan [2]. The department said the initiative is a three-year strategy to improve road safety across North Bay, Ontario [2].

One of the most visible changes involves officers riding on city buses. From this elevated vantage point, police can identify drivers using handheld devices in traffic, a method that allows for detection without the need for a traditional traffic stop to initiate the observation [1, 3].

Beyond personnel on buses, the North Bay Police Service is investigating the use of camera enforcement [1, 3]. Under this proposed system, a driver caught using a handheld device on camera could face a $100 fine [3].

This crackdown comes as local authorities seek new ways to charge distracted drivers who are often difficult to catch using standard patrol methods [3]. The focus remains on high-risk behaviors that lead to fatal collisions in the community [2, 4].

“North Bay police are deploying officers on city buses and exploring camera enforcement to ticket drivers using cellphones.”

The shift toward 'passive' surveillance—using buses and cameras—indicates a move away from traditional reactive policing toward a high-visibility deterrence model. By utilizing existing city infrastructure and proposing automated fines, North Bay is attempting to create a constant perceived risk of detection for drivers, which is often more effective at changing behavior than sporadic police patrols.