As someone who has spent a lot of time driving for many hours at a time along the 401, I can sympathize with a motorist's need to entertain themselves on what might be the world's flattest, most boring stretch of highway.

That's what podcasts are for. And audiobooks. And radio stations, and Spotify, and even, if the situation necessitates it, the hands-free telephone calling features of your newfangled automobile.

Tempting as it may be, video-chatting while driving isn't safe or legal — and answering that incoming FaceTime call when you're behind the wheel could cost you huge-time.

Ontario Provincial Police officers recently pulled over a transport truck driver on Highway 401 near Leeds after noticing the tell-tale glow of an active iPhone in front of him.

#LeedsOPP spotted the driver of this transport truck using FaceTime on his phone while driving on #Hwy401. After checking the log book, multiple tickets were issued to the driver and company. Over $2100 in fines. A dangerous combination of tired and #DistractedDriving ^ec pic.twitter.com/vT6j3fZ9g5

— OPP East Region (@OPP_ER) June 1, 2022

"After checking the log book, multiple tickets were issued to the driver and company," wrote the OPP East Region on Twitter late Wednesday.

"A dangerous combination of tired and #DistractedDriving."

Fortunately, nobody was injured as a result of the trucker's indescretion. But it did prove costly.

Police say they doled out a total of $2,100 in fines to the driver and the company he worked for as a result of the stop.

It's a better punishment than crashing into the median while driving more than 100 km/h without your eyes on the road, at least.