The weekend, according to a release from West Kootenay traffic Services, motorists will see an increased police presence on local roads.
Operation Impact 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.
The focus will be on behaviours that put drivers, passengers and other road users most at risk: impaired driving, seat belt use, and all aspects related to aggressive and distracted driving. All enforcement agencies across the country have been invited to participate.
"The deaths, pain and broken hearts that result from carelessness behind the wheel can be prevented," said Sergeant Derrick Donovan, NCO i/c West Kootenay Traffic Services in a release. "Police agencies across the country are collaborating on this project because they have seen more than enough of that, and because they know that the involvement of the driving public is essential to achieve safer streets and highways."
The date of this initiative has been strategically chosen to coincide with a long weekend — more people are traveling and traffic crashes are more frequent.
In the West Kootenay area, there are about six to eight deaths per year and several serious injuries related to vehicle collisions. These are just numbers but they represent moms, dads, sisters, brothers, loved ones, co-workers, neighbours and West Kootenay Traffic Services and other local police agencies find such number unacceptable.
Operation Impact is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), and member agencies of the CACP Traffic Committee from across Canada in support of Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2015, which has a goal of making Canada's roads the safest in the world by 2015.