Photo: HRPS
The new school year is right around the corner, and that means the start of the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) campaign known as ‘Project Safe Start’.
This will be the 17th year for the annual initiative, aiming to ensure that all residents know that road safety starts with the ABCs: Always Be Cautious.
With the number of road users expected to spike post-Labour Day, so too does the risk of traffic-related injury, particularly for vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists, and micro-mobility devices, including e-scooters.
“Year after year, we hear from citizens who are deeply concerned about the safety of our roads. We share that concern,” says Stephen Tanner, Chief of Police. “In 2023 alone, our Service responded to nearly 9,000 collisions in Halton, more than 1,000 of which involved personal injury. That number is far too high. It is, however, entirely within residents’ control to change for the better. The goal of Project Safe Start and the many traffic initiatives we conduct year-round is to accomplish just that.”
Between Monday, August 26th and Friday, September 6th, drivers will notice an increased police presence and traffic enforcement around Halton schools and nearby community safety zones. During this time, officers will be focusing on the ‘Big 3’ offences:
- Distracted driving. Operating a hand-held device, making a phone call, sending a text, changing songs or using maps while driving – including while stopped in traffic – is an offence. Fines start at $615 plus licence suspension on conviction.
- Speed. Speed limits are not recommendations; they’re law. Be aware of speed changes in community safety zones, refrain from tailgating, and comply with road signs and crosswalks. This includes ensuring that pedestrians have fully cleared crosswalks before proceeding.
- Impaired operation. Driving while under the influence of prescription or recreational drugs and/or alcohol any time of day or night inhibits your ability to react behind the wheel and can result in serious injury or death to you, your loved ones, other road users, and pedestrians. Mandatory alcohol screening is now the law and any motorist stopped by police can be mandated to provide a sample. Refusing to comply is a criminal offence.
In addition to these, police will be educating motorists on, and issuing tickets for, vehicle equipment deficiencies, invalid/expired documentation, and other offences – including those related to e-scooters and e-bikes.
To report road safety concerns to the HRPS, click here. In an emergency, dial 911.
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