Selective Traffic Enforcement
Occupant Restraints
March 1st, 2010
The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) for the month of March will be focusing on Occupant Restraints. The use of occupant restraints reduces the likelihood of sustaining an injury and the severity of the injury decreases as well. Research and collision investigations show that seat belts increase the chances of survival in a collision by 50 per cent. It is estimated seatbelts save about a 1000 lives per year in Canada. All occupants in a vehicle must utilize an occupant restraint. One unrestrained occupant increases the risk for all occupants in the vehicle.
Infants under 1 year of age and under 22lbs (10kg) should remain rear facing. Once a child is over 1 year old, is at least 22 lbs (10kg) and can get themselves from a seated to a standing position without any type of assistance they can be turned forward facing. Forward facing child safety seats normally have a 5 point harness and are attached to the back seat via a seatbelt or by using the vehicle’s LATCH system.
Once a child weighs 40lbs (18kg) and is 40” tall, they have outgrown a child safety seat and move to a booster seat. All children under 9 years of age who weigh less than 80 lb (36 kg) or are under 4'9" (145 cm) should remain in a booster seat to help position the seat belt properly on the child’s body. A child is 4 times more likely to suffer a head injury in a crash when using just an adult seat belt than when buckled in a booster seat.
If you have specific questions regarding installation of your child's car seat please contract Kathryn BADRY at Camrose Public Health at (780) 679-3156.
The Camrose Police Service would like to remind all drivers that they are required to wear their seatbelts at all times, and that they must be worn properly. Failure to do so can result in a $115 fine.
Distracted Driving
February 4th, 2010
Distracted driving is defined as anything that diverts the attention of the driver from the task of operating a vehicle. Distracted driving is one of the great unreported traffic safety problems facing Canadians today. There is a preconceived notion that one must be connected to work and home at all times and that driving is an unproductive task so people are trying to accomplish more in less time. Advancements in technology have given us GPS, I-Pods, cell phones capable of browsing the internet and text messaging. However,technology alone cannot shoulder all the blame for distracted drivers. Anything from looking at a map to find your route to dealing with the kids in the back seat of the car can be a distraction. Only a handful of studies have been conducted on the subject of distracted driving, but the most recent data indicates that 80% of collisions are caused by some form of driver distraction.
Some ways to reduce the number of distractions inside your vehicle are:
- Don't answer a cell phone or read a text message while driving. Wait until you have reached your destination to use your phone.
- Know the route you are taking to your destination, and if you are travelling an unfamiliar route, budget extra time into your trip.
- Ensure the volume of the music is at a reasonable level. Loud music can drown out the siren of an emergency vehicle trying to get around you.
- Know your vehicle and where various gauges and radio control knobs are so you are not looking where they are while driving.
- Ensure that all items in your vehicle are secure prior to your trip
Section 115 (1) of the Traffic Safety Act prohibits drivers who operate vehicles without due care and attention from using the highway. Motorists convicted of violating this Section may be subject to a loss of up to six demerit points and a fine of $402.
Motorists in Alberta are also not permitted to drive with a person, animal or thing occupying the front seat of the vehicle that impedes the drivers' access and use ofthe steering wheel, brakes and other equipment necessary to operate the vehicle safely.
Intersection Safety
January 7th, 2010
The Selected Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) for the month of January will focus on intersection safety. In Canada 30% of fatalities and 40% of serious injuries from collisions involved an intersection. In 2008, 89 people were killed and 9,134 people were injured in collisions at intersections in Alberta.
Three(3) of the top five(5) improper driver actions that cause collisions occur at intersections, and those actions are:
- Making a left turn across the path of another vehicle is the most frequently identified improper driver action that contributes to collisions in an intersection.
- Stop sign violations and
- Disobeying a traffic signal.
Drivers should take the following three precautions when approaching and crossing an intersection:
- Scan the intersection and beyond, as you approach with caution.
- Always be 100% prepared to yield. Keep your foot off the accelerator and covering the brake pad.
- Before proceeding, check for cross-traffic. Look left, right, left again and continue to scan as you proceed.
- Watch for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
- Before proceeding, make eye contact with other intersection users - including pedestrians.
Failure to stop at a stop sign or red light results in a $287 fine and 3 demerits. A driver is required to come to a complete stop, which means the wheels of the vehicle must not be moving, before proceeding safely through the intersection.
A sidewalk acts as a stop sign. Before entering a main street from a road, service road, alley, driveway or parking lot a vehicle must stop unless marked otherwise.
When vehicles arrive at a four way stop sign, courtesy is to allow the vehicle that arrived first to proceed first. If vehicles arrive simultaneously, right of way is given to the vehicle on the right, while left turning vehicles yield to approaching traffic.
Failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk carries a fine of $575 plus 4 demerit points.
If an emergency vehicle with its lights or sirens activated is approaching an intersection all other vehicles must give up the right of way until the emergency vehicle has passed through the intersection. Failure to do so is a $172 fine plus 3 demerits.
Impaired Driving
December 1st, 2009
Impaired drivers continue to be a threat to the safety of the public on our streets and highways. Our police service continues to seek out the offenders on a daily basis. The Alberta Enhanced Checkstop Program is in full swing. Alberta Sheriffs, RCMP and Camrose Police Service will be operating checkstops in and around the city. We want them to serve as a reminder to all drivers that Impaired Driving will not be tolerated.
The Camrose Police Service encourages the public to do their part in the fight against this crime. If you suspect an impaired driver contact police. Some of the driving patterns you may see are driving slowly or constantly changing speeds, swerving left and right, reacting slowly to traffic signals (stopping into the intersection) and wide turns. An impaired driver has a difficult time with multiple tasks, which driving requires and you'll often see them staring straight ahead in an attempt to process the information coming at them.
PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!
