This Thanksgiving weekend marks “Operation Impact” – a national enforcement campaign designed to aggressively enforce laws against high-risk driving behaviour. A priority of this campaign is to remind people that an essential part of the enforcement role is to save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways. The four-day campaign is strategically chosen to coincide with the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, when more people are traveling and crashes are more frequent
In rural Manitoba RCMP Jurisdiction, 79 people have lost their lives this year in traffic collisions – and most of those deaths were completely preventable. That fact will be fueling RCMP officers across the province, who will be conducting extra patrols and have checkstops planned in selected locations. They will be targeting dangerous driving behaviours that put other road users most at risk, such as: impaired driving, speeding, talking or texting on cell phones while driving, and not using seatbelts.
“It takes a split second to make a smart decision, the same amount of time it takes for a deadly collision to occur,” says the RCMP Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations, Chief Superintendent Scott Kolody. “RCMP officers will be on the roads for the long weekend to help keep the roadways safe for all Manitobans, but it all begins with the decision made by one person. Please make it the right one.”
Operation Impact is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and member agencies across Canada in support of Road Safety Strategy 2015 – which has the goal of making Canada’s roads the safest in the world. Last year, there were no deaths in Manitoba RCMP jurisdiction over Thanksgiving long weekend.
The RCMP wants to remind the public to buckle up, stay sober, and stay focused on the road while driving. After all – good drivers just drive.
