It's the first long weekend of the real driving season, the unofficial start to summer and of course the weekend when most of Canada's police departments will step up their traffic enforcement.
The Victoria Day weekend normally sees a spike in car accidents and speeding tickets, presenting a situation for the the nation's traffic enforcement officers which will keep them rather busy writing out tickets.
Some motorists take those stops with the inevitable embarrassment of having committed a wrong and getting caught, then there are others that apparently just don't get it!
Locally, the RCMP stand ready to keep an eye on the traffic flow for the long weekend ahead, here's a story from the Friday Daily News that provides the details of the local angle of the start to summer.
Police urge drivers to be safe on roads
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, May 18, 2007
As people head out on the road this May long weekend, local RCMP are reminding motorists to drive safely.
Const. Steve Richards, media relations officer for the Prince Rupert RCMP, said that May 14 to 21 is Canada Road Safety Week, a week during which police remind people that an essential part of traffic enforcement is aimed at saving lives and reducing injuries.
"This is the first long weekend of the traditional summer season. More people are travelling and traffic collisions are more frequent," said Richards. "Here in Prince Rupert, our Integrated Road Safety Unit will be actively targeting certain areas and driving behaviours."
Their focus will be on impaired driving, seatbelt enforcement and intersection enforcement.
Drivers are reminded to follow some very important key points - drive at a safe speed, don't follow too closely, don't run red or yellow lights, watch for and stop for pedestrians, never drink and drive and always buckle up and ensure all passengers do the same.
Richards also noted that Mon., May 14 also brings in some important changes to seatbelt regulations. One of the key changes is an increase in fines. Most seatbelt fines (failing to wear a seatbelt, allowing a passenger without a seatbelt etc.) increase from $138 to $167.
Operating a vehicle with too many persons (more people than seatbelts) will get the driver a fine of $311.
The summer will also see the start of new and innovative enforcement methods from Prince Rupert's Integrated Road Safety Unit as they continue working to keep roadways safe.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment