Today concludes the 2011 Operation Impact, a national campaign to make Canada’s roads the safest in the world.
This special 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. The focus is 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 were invited to participate.
This initiative was strategically chosen, as it is a significant long weekend. More people are traveling and collisions are more frequent.
In Rural Manitoba, there have been 85 deaths in 2011 so far, related to vehicle collisions, which has already surpassed the 73 deaths total that occurred in 2010. These are not just numbers. They represent moms, dads sisters, brothers, loved ones, co-workers, neighbors. It is unacceptable to the RCMP to see so many preventable deaths. That is why, in support of Operation Impact, we conduct extra checkstops and patrols in order to detect impaired driving and aggressive driving behavior.
Operation Impact is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and Transport Canada and is part of Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2015, which has a goal of making Canada’s roads the safest in the world by 2015.
“Dedicated to improving public safety on our roadways.”
