Halton Police wants everyone to be smart and have a safe back to school start

As the summer winds down and children are preparing to head back to school, the Halton Regional Police Service are preparing for their annual Project Safe Start. This project is a traffic campaign to remind drivers to watch for the flashing 40km/hr speed zones and be mindful when driving in or near school zones.   “Safe Start is our annual back to school traffic safety project in Halton,” Sergeant Ryan Snow said.

This will be the tenth year the Service has conducted this campaign, which focuses on education, awareness and high-visibility enforcement of traffic laws in and around school zones throughout Halton Region.

This annual campaign is two weeks long and centred on the period in which children are returning to school. This year’s campaign will run until Friday, September 8, 2017.

School zones should be safe zones. “All children deserve to attend school-safely,” Snow said.  Officers are reminding motorists that over 100,000 students return to school in Halton Region on Tuesday, September 5, 2017. Motorists should be on heightened alert for increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic in and around school zones.

It is important to remember driving safe is your priority:

1. Drive at a safe speed. Aggressive driving such as speeding, tailgating and failing to comply with road signs increase the likelihood of a collision. Aggressive driving reduces your reaction time and makes your vehicle movements unpredictable to other drivers.
2. Be aware of your surroundings when driving. There are three types of distraction: taking your eyes off the road, taking your hands off the wheel and taking your mind off driving. Holding your cellular phone in your hands is an offence, regardless of whether you are talking on it, using the navigation system or changing a song. This is still applicable when stopped at a red light. Did you know that texting while driving increases the risk of a collision by 23 times?
3. Drive responsibly. Drug and alcohol impaired driving can result in serious injury or death to you, your loved ones and other road users. Impairment slows your ability to react to changing road conditions. Drinking before driving and any form of drug use will affect your ability to drive.

Halton residents have ranked traffic concerns as their #1 policing priority. The Halton Regional Police Service recognizes this concern and engages in various campaigns throughout the year in an effort to educate the public and enforce the Highway Traffic Act and other traffic related legislation.