Off and on through the day Thursday, police watched for distracted drivers across the street from the OPP detachment in Listowel.

Much to their surprise, they caught 28 drivers using electronic devices while driving along Wallace Avenue.

“How important can these texts, calls or messages be that drivers have to handle their devices while driving, especially near a busy intersection and the Listowel downtown?” Perth County OPP Sgt. Mike Scott said in a press release.

Each of the 28 drivers was handed a ticket for $280.

Other drivers saw what was going on and “quickly put away their devices,” Scott said.

Police across Ontario are conducting a crackdown on distracted driving this week.