Police decided to try something new for catching drivers, which do not follow the rules and regulations and create dangerous situations on the road.
Manitoba RCMP officers put out the call on Twitter and Facebook asking drivers to suggest hot spots they were concerned about. “There was a lot of engagement. These are people that drive on these roads on a regular basis. Their information was invaluable,” said RCMP Media Relations Officer Tara Seel.
Officers didn’t even expect such response from regular people and drivers, out of hundreds of locations suggested, police had selected several, that were mentioned the most times and headed to check selected locations. Over the first two days of the campaign, nearly 150 tickets were handed out. According to Seel, that is a higher amount of tickets handed out compared to other days.
Seel noted that many hot spots brought to their attention were already on the RCMP’s radar, which helps reaffirm they are using resources in the best possible way. “Things we consider include traffic volume, crash history, and information collected during previous campaigns.”
Distracted driving was a common infraction seen by officers during the campaign. She said it was a chance to educate drivers about the new distracted driving laws that came into effect today, November 1st.
A lot of accidents on the road happened because drivers are in a hurry, distracted or simply intentionally do not follow the rules and regulations. Every year, about 421,000 people are injured in crashes that have involved a driver who was distracted in some way. Over 78% of all distracted drivers are distracted because they have been texting while driving.
In 2018 that number is already much higher throughout Canada. Manitoba alone seeing a 25% increase in road fatalities. Most of those accidents happening due to drivers being distracted and over 78% of them were texting, just imagine that number.
Seel said since the end of the blitz brings them to November, it’s time for people to start preparing for winter driving. “Slow down, buckle up, drive sober and pay attention. We just want everyone to get home safe.” Mounties have done this kind of campaign before and considering the success they’ve had, you can expect to see it again.
Unfortunately, a lot of those drivers are teenagers, who are not just irresponsible to their own vehicles and lives, but to other people’s health and lives as well. Some drivers just really don’t care about the rules and driving regulations, they do not care for their own safety and their passengers, friends and family members.
So fellow Winnipeggers please don’t text and drive, keep our roads safe and easy to drive. Let’s all be responsible drivers and care for each other, so at the end of the day, we can all come back home to our loved ones!