NEWS RELEASE
YORK REGIONAL POLICE
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The York Regional Police Road Safety Bureau continues to encourage both pedestrians and drivers to take extra care as darkness arrives earlier each day due to the time change for daylight savings.
Throughout November and December, when darkness falls earlier in the evening, York Regional Police often sees an increase in collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians.
Officers with the Road Safety Bureau have been positioned at Yonge Street and Highway 7 in Richmond Hill, as well as at Yonge and Davis Drive in Nemarket, speaking to pedestrians about crossing safely, the importance of being visible and not being distracted by their phones while walking on the roadway. Those intersections were chosen as they have been noted as high-collision intersections where pedestrians have been struck in the past.
Officers have also been conducting education through enforcement to drivers who fail to stop or yield, who are driving while distracted or drivers who fail to proceed when the light turns green because they are busy with their phones.
Between Oct. 30, 2020, and Nov. 2, 2020, more than 40 charges were laid for Highway Traffic Act offences near intersections that are shared with pedestrians.
Road safety continues to be one of our community’s biggest concerns throughout York Region. Certain types of driving infractions are the cause of most concern and have been identified as the Big 4 Dangers, which are the behaviours that put drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users most at risk. These are impaired driving, either by alcohol and/or drugs, improper use or failure to use seatbelts, aggressive driving and distracted driving.
York Regional Police encourages citizens to do their part and help us keep our roads safe. If you observe instances of speeding, unsafe lane changes, tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, or disobeying traffic lights and stop signs, or other unsafe driving please consider making an online report through our Road Watch program at www.yrp.ca/roadwatch.aspx.
If you see an impaired driver or a dangerous driving situation in progress, or any driving behaviour which you believe constitutes an immediate risk to public safety, please call 911 to report the details.
Together, we can work to make our roads and communities safer.
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