The South Simcoe Police Traffic Unit has wrapped up this year’s Canadian Road Safety Week with an important message to drivers: Road safety is a shared, daily responsibility.
The annual national campaign, which ran from May 13th to 19th, aims to increase public awareness, reduce injuries, and ultimately save lives on our roadways.
Focused enforcement efforts during the week targeted the “Big Four” contributors to collisions and fatalities: impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving, and failure to wear a seatbelt. Officers conducted RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) spot checks and patrolled key roadways throughout the region.
Results from the week included:
- 7 RIDE spot checks, with around 300 vehicles screened
- 4 impaired driving charges and 4 vehicle impoundments
- 59 tickets for speeding, the most common offence observed
- 4 charges for stunt driving
- 4 seatbelt violations
- 8 tickets related to collisions involving aggressive driving
Encouragingly, South Simcoe Police noted fewer incidents of distracted driving and increased seatbelt use, showing signs that awareness efforts are making a difference. However, speeding remains a top concern – particularly on roads with 80 km/h speed limits – with national data showing it as the leading factor in 25% of fatal crashes.
While the campaign may be over, enforcement efforts continue. South Simcoe Police urge all motorists to stay vigilant and make safety a priority every time they get behind the wheel.
