Police to target unsafe drivers, speeders in March
Posted Mar 5, 2010 By EMC News
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Tweet ThisThe city's Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) will be focusing in March on heavy vehicles, motorists operating unsafe vehicles, and drivers with a lead foot on the gas pedal.
In 2008, 114 reportable collisions involved unsafe vehicles on Ottawa roads. These collisions led to 26 injuries, three were life-threatening. Causes of these collisions included defective brakes, steering, wheels and suspension, as well as tire blowout.
In addition to focusing on unsafe vehicles, this initiative will also include heavy vehicle inspections. These inspections will be done to ensure compliance with weight restrictions, that loads are properly secured, and that heavy vehicles are not being driven on restricted load roadways. Documentation, certificates and logs will also be inspected.
Speeding is also a serious issue on Ottawa roads. In 2008, 3,592 reportable collisions occurred on Ottawa roads as a result of drivers exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for road and weather conditions. These collisions resulted in nine deaths and 990 injuries, 55 of those considered serious injuries.
Each month since 2004, STEP has been profiling and enforcing two initiatives that target specific traffic safety priorities. These initiatives support larger IRSP public awareness and enforcement campaigns.
The STEP program is an initiative operated by the city's Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP). In 2003, two city departments - Public Works and Ottawa Public Health - along with the Ottawa Police Service developed the IRSP to provide a comprehensive approach in promoting road safety.
Ottawa residents have identified traffic safety as a top priority. The IRSP is committed to using available resources to make Ottawa roads safer for residents.
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