KENORA, Ont. -- Officials with the OPP are asking motorists to be careful where they keep their phone.
The Rainy River Detachment of the provincial police force issued a media release asking drivers to remember that where they keep their phone could lead to an accidental 911 call.
A pocket dial typically occurs when a mobile phone accidentally dials a contact while it is stored. This often happens when phones are in pockets, backpacks or handbags.
According to the OPP, the accidental 911 calls are tying up emergency lines and wasting resources as officers are sometimes dispatched to try and determine to location of the caller.
As of September of this year, the Thunder Bay OPP provincial communications centre had received more than 64 officer-confirmed pocket dials.
The OPP recommend the following to avoid pocket dialing an emergency line:
- Carry your mobile phone in a holster and make sure that the keypad is locked
- Do not make 911 part of your programmed auto-dialing
- Read the phone’s user manual or contact the service provider to find out what options are available to “pocket dial proof” your device
