The Sudbury detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police held a media event Friday, Oct. 5 to mark the start of Operation Impact, a national campaign to raise awareness about safe driving, which concludes Thanksgiving Day, Oct. 8.
"This campaign is focusing on safe driving practices and it's timed in conjunction with the long weekend. The campaign also involves targeting enforcement in the areas of  seatbelts and child restraints, impaired driving, aggressive or high-risk behaviours," said Constable Michelle Coulombe. Community services officer with the Ontario Provincial Police.
During the conference, the OPP had set up a laser speed measuring unit near the tourist information booth located off Highway 69.
Several motorists were pulled over for speeding, but none of the five tow trucks on site were required to tow vehicles caught speeding at 50 km/h or more over the speed limit.
Recently the Greater Sudbury police issued its first vehicle suspension and vehicle seizure under Bill 203. Under the law, which came into effect Sept. 30, fines for street racers and aggressive drivers, including those who drive 50 km/h or more over the posted speed limit, increased to $10,000 and allows police to immediately suspend the driver's licence and impound the vehicle for seven days.
The day after the law came into effect, a Sudbury police officer caught a 42 year old male on Municipal Road 35 travelling 133 km/h in a posted 80 km/h zone, 53 km/h over the posted speed limit.
Under Bill 203 the minimum fine increases from $200 to $2,000.
Courts can impose a driver licence suspension of up to 10 years for a second conviction, if the second conviction occurs within 10 years of the first. For a first conviction, the maximum licence suspension period remains at 2 years.
"This weekend is a police initiative designed to remind people that an essential part of the enforcement job is to save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways. Educating the public in safe driving practices is a priority," Coulombe said.
Operation Impact was chosen to go ahead on Thanksgiving weekend as more people are traveling and traffic crashes are more frequent. Officers will be watching for impaired drivers and conduct zero tolerance enforcement throughout the holiday weekend.
Since 2002 there have been six alcohol related deaths and 168 alcohol related injuries related to vehicle collisions in Greater Sudbury.
Operation Impact is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and Transport Canada and is part of Road Safety Vision 2010, which has a goal of making Canada's roads the safest in the world by 2010.
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