Waterloo Regional Police Service continues to focus safety efforts on the ‘fatal four’ on regional roads in 2022.
There were 15 fatal crashes in 2021 accounting for 17 deaths. Of those fatalities, 60 per cent of those were linked to the ‘fatal four:' impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving and seat belt wearing.
“In 2022, our priority for the road safety team is intelligent and responsive traffic enforcement,” said Staff Sgt. Scott Griffiths at a police services board meeting on Wednesday as he highlighted the road safety plan for 2022.
“Our goal is to use data and technology in response to public concerns and work with our communities, townships, and cities,” Griffiths said.
“Impairment was a factor in 33 per cent of collisions and speeding was a factor in nine.”
Most fatal crashes, 60 per cent, occurred in rural townships and major injury crashes increased 24 per cent, which is consistent with 2019 statistics.
Regarding enforcement efforts in 2021, impaired driving charges remain steady year over year and total road safety charges increased by four per cent to 27, 261.
Stunt driving charges increased 62 per cent with 463 charges laid.
Due to growing concern, the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act was introduced in Ontario in 2021, increasing penalties and lowering speed limits in certain areas in an effort to reduce stunt driving.
“Regardless, there has been a large increase in these types of charges year after year. This is not unique to our region, and we are targeting that very strongly because those behaviours and activities can lead to dangerous outcomes,” Griffiths said.
Overall, fatal charges increased by 20 per cent to 14,594 charges and efforts to increase rural township enforcement led to a 22 per cent increase in charges in 2020.
“In 2022, as the restrictions pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic decrease and our opportunities to continue RIDE programs increase, our goal is to have consistent and frequent RIDE program activity,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths said that selective traffic enforcement is an ongoing effort to improve driving complaint response.
“Our goal is to be more responsive and intelligent with our resources, as well as to improve customer contact as well as cooperation and integration with our townships and cities,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths said WRPS will continuing with the 30-day complaint program which is where a location, with a repeated complaint, will be examined further.
Efforts continue to combat impaired driving, including drug impaired driving.
“We issued 61 drug driving suspensions with drug tests conducted roadside, much like a roadside screen device for cannabis and cocaine for novice young drivers and commercial drivers. Our goal is to increase our RIDE initiatives in 2022 as COVID protocols evolve. Because of the rapidly changing environment, when it comes to COVID restrictions, we have had to adapt our road program efforts. We hope that as things normalize, that in 2022, we will be able to offer not only more opportunities to conduct a traditional RIDE program, but also our mobile enforcement efforts,” Griffiths said.
“Our special enforcement teams are an integral part of our road safety plan, and our traffic safety goals. In 2021, our special enforcement team laid 3,145 charges and conducted 1507 hours of enforcement. Those numbers account for 12 per cent of our overall road safety charges of 2021.”
“Our road safety month in May 2022, in partnership with Canada Road Safety Week, will be from May 17 to May 23,” Griffiths said.
“This is a major effort to help combat the ‘fatal four’ or similar types of offences that are continuing to be the cause of numerous numbers of our 'fatal four' and serious injuries crashes and we will be extending the road safety week into a road safety month given this high priority that we place on those efforts.”
