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Operation Impact out to make roads safer |
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Written by Pamela Roth
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Friday, October 10 2008, 11:37 PM |
Whenever a long weekend comes around, an increase in traffic on highways often spells disaster for a neighbour, co-worker or perhaps a loved one.
That’s why RCMP across the country are launching Operation Impact — a national campaign to make Canada’s roads the safest in the world.
The campaign runs through Monday with RCMP focusing their attention on behaviours that put drivers, passengers and other road users at risk, such as impaired driving, improper seatbelt use and all aspects related to aggressive driving.
Even though it’s a message we’ve all heard several times in the past, Lethbridge RCMP Sgt. John McGill said it’s necessary to remind drivers of their driving practices on a regular basis.
“Driving is a privilege, not a right,” said McGill, who noted the most common unsafe driving practice is excessive speed and driver inattention, which can be linked to using a cellphone while behind the wheel. “It becomes a habit, and when something becomes a habit, it becomes something you just do subconsciously.”
In Alberta, 153,901 collisions were recorded on roadways in 2007, with fatal collisions accounting for 402 of that total. The age of most of the casualties is in the 20- to 24-year-old bracket.
Following too closely, running off the road and left turns across a path of oncoming traffic were the most frequently identified improper driver actions contributing to casualty collisions.
Each year, the Thanksgiving long weekend brings with it several vehicle collision-related deaths and serious injuries. In support of Operation Impact, Alberta RCMP officers will be out in full force this weekend to step up enforcement efforts with Alberta traffic laws.
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Last Updated ( Monday, August 10 2009, 2:34 PM )
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