Timmins Police to crack down on 'the big four' over the long weekend

NEWS RELEASE
TIMMINS POLICE SERVICE
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The Timmins Police Service is issuing a public safety reminder to all persons ushering in Civic Holiday weekend related celebrations this weekend.

Those persons who choose to indulge in celebrations involving the consumption of alcoholic beverages or other substances are reminded to be responsible and plan ahead.

Those attending gatherings should be making arrangements for a designated driver, a sober ride home, or some other form of responsible transportation for any Civic Holiday weekend festivities, should the consumption of alcohol or recreational substances be involved.

Timmins Police Service - Traffic Section and general patrol officers will be monitoring all city traffic arteries and checking for driver sobriety in keeping with their obligation to keep city roadways as safe as possible. The burden of responsibility lies directly on the shoulders of the individual driver not to take to the wheel after having consumed alcoholic beverages or any substance that can interfere with their ability to drive alertly and safely.

The point of Civic Holiday weekend is to celebrate and enjoy a well-deserved summer long weekend in a safe and responsible manner. This message needs to reach the motoring public and take hold so that preventable tragedies and unnecessary criminal law enforcement entanglements can be avoided.

The Timmins Police Service wishes to remind everyone that Timmins Police will be ramping up traffic monitoring efforts focusing on what is commonly known in law enforcement as “the big four” in regards to roadway safety.

The Timmins Police Service will be particularly focused on the big 4 this weekend. Driving behaviors that are completely overrepresented in traffic collision statistics include:

1. Aggressive driving: TPS officers will be monitoring area roadways for tailgating, speeding, hurried lane changes and other vehicular infractions.
2. Impaired driving: either by drug or alcohol, impaired driving will be addressed by means of random RIDE spot checks
3. Distracted driving – any motorist observed using a hand held device while driving will be subject to the applicable charges under the Highway Traffic Act
4. Seat belt compliance – any motorist or passenger not wearing a seat belt will have this violation addressed by means of the issuance of an Offence Notice

Where possible, ATV trails will be monitored to ensure full compliance with the statutes that apply to recreational vehicles.

"All forms of aggressive driving adversely affect our personal sense of safety. Timmins Police officers are consistently alert to unsafe driving behaviors while on patrol. These efforts are heightened during the Civic Holiday Weekend in an effort to have safer driving comportment become the norm so that Timmins roadways become that much safer as a result.” according to Timmins Police Service – Traffic Sergeant Thomas Chypyha With the above in mind, the Timmins Police wish everyone a safe Civic Holiday weekend.

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