ROCKWOOD – Police laid close to 40 charges during a traffic safety blitz here on March 10.
Wellington County OPP officials say the blitz was “a direct response to community concerns about unsafe driving practices in the community and was conducted in conjunction with ‘Black Cat’ speed studies in the area.”
The “traffic safety enforcement initiative,” conducted by the detachment’s Traffic Management Unit, focused primarily on the OPP’s “big four” offences:
- speeding/aggressive driving;
- distracted driving;
- impaired driving; and
- seatbelt usage).
Officers also conducted a RIDE program in the community and carried out “proactive patrols” at local elementary schools at the beginning and end of the school day, officials say.
The OPP laid a total of 39 charges during the blitz:
- 15 for speeding;
- nine for disobeying a stop sign;
- four for failing to properly wear a seatbelt;
- one for distracted driving;
- one for failing to stop at a red light;
- one for operating an unsafe vehicle; and
- eight other provincial statute charges.
“Wellington County OPP remains committed to delivering on its provincial traffic safety program,” states an OPP press release.
The program, police added, “incorporates high police visibility, measurable outcomes, professional traffic stops and public education in an ongoing effort to save lives on Ontario roads, trails and waterways.”
