Tags: traffic offences
08/05/08
Traffic wasn't half bad, cops say
Link: http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/08/05/6352921-sun.html
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Mister-Wong
MixxOne fatality up north, minor crash in T.O. amount to sterling weekend
By JASON BUCKLAND, SUN MEDIA
With the Caribana celebration and civic holiday this weekend, Toronto area roads were busy but, for the most part, problem free.
"With what was going on, and all the people we had around," Acting Staff-Sgt. Scott Collins said, "it went quite well, actually."
There were no fatal vehicle collisions in Toronto over the long weekend and only one in central Ontario.
A man was killed on his motorcycle in Orillia, OPP said yesterday.
And a man was put in hospital with minor injuries after a crash last night at Danforth Ave. and Danforth Rd.
The holiday weekend was not without its notable traffic incidents, though, as several drivers made decisions they likely regret heading into the short work week.
A driver at a Tim Hortons off Hwy. 407 got so nervous when he saw a police cruiser, cops say, he put his mom's car in reverse instead of drive and backed right into a lightpole, getting the attention of the very officers he was trying to avoid.
And a driver from New York was caught -- also along the 407 -- going 227 km/h in his Infiniti G37.
CORNY EXCUSE
When asked why he was driving so fast, he told the OPP he had just eaten corn soup and really had to use the washroom.
"I've heard about the ethanol in corn making cars go fast, but this was something else," OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley said.
All in all Woolley was very impressed with the weekend's collision numbers.
From this date last year, Ontario is down 30% on fatal crashes on the province's roads.
"That's about 80 less people that are dead as a result," he said.
5,000 traffic charges laid over the long weekend
Link: http://www.680news.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20080805_080220_8620
By: Jaime Pulfer
Toronto - At least 5,000 charges were laid on the highways over the weekend, about a ticket every three minutes in the Toronto area.
OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley told 680News over 150 excessive speeders had their vehicles seized over the long weekend, including a driver from New York, who had passengers in the car. He was clocked at 227 kilometres an hour on Highway 407.
Woolley said that when the man was asked why he was driving so fast, he told the officer he had just eaten corn soup and had to use the washroom.
But, the street racing legislation, which went into effect over 10-months ago, has been getting a lot of credit.
The street racing legislation went into effect at the end of September and Woolley told 680News at least 80 people are alive because of it.
"If you can put this into perspective, that's 80 more people that are alive compared to the same time last year, so this isn't some little fluctuation," Woolley said.
He added that there's been a 40 per cent drop in fatal high speed crashes compared to the same time last year -- something he said he's never seen in his 30 years as an OPP officer.
07/25/08
Impaired Driving Law Amendments Call for Drug Testing
Link: http://blog.legalaction.ca/impaired-driving-law-amendments-call-for-drug-testing/#more-101
Industry News Philip Alexiu
As the National Post reported last month, the federal government has finally set a new law in motion that will take aim at drivers on drugs, in an effort to curb impaired drivers under multiple substances. From the article:
OTTAWA - Drivers who get behind the wheel while high on drugs will face roadside testing and they could be ordered to surrender urine, blood or saliva samples at the police station under a controversial new law that takes effect one week from today.
Drivers who refuse to comply will be subject to a minimum $1,000 fine — the same penalty for refusing the breathalyzer.
The new measures, which grant police more power to administer drug tests, comes after Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and other groups advocated for changes in Canada’s Criminal Code.
The new law may have spurred a contentious response however, as drug tests from blood and urine samples may reveal that illicit drugs have been taken, but cannot indicate that the user was impaired at the time of driving. What kind of charges can be laid in the light of such evidence may be an issue for intense debate in courtrooms across Ontario.
A police officer would have to propose drug tests after noticeable impairment and may even have to see the drug being taken by the driver to have a sound case against the accused. Car searches may also be subject to future controversy.
Beginning July 2, drivers suspected of being high will be required to perform physical tests at the side of the road, such as walking a straight line. If they fail, they will be sent to the police station for further testing by a trained “drug recognition expert” and then be forced to give blood, urine, or saliva samples if they flunk the second test as well.
Critics say the new law could cause more problems that it solves, particularly because there is no reliable scientific test to detect drug use. Also, while there is a measurable link between blood alcohol levels and driving ability, research is lacking to equate drug quantity and impairment.
Another potential problem in testing bodily fluids is that they can detect marijuana smoked several days or months earlier and the effect has worn off.
The laws’ impact on road safety will surely be under intense scrutiny in the coming weeks, as summer holidays and activities see drivers indulge in recreational drug and alcohol use. Finding clear evidence of impairment will be a challenge for police and may rely on the presentation of physical materials found at the scene to hold up in court.
Keep coming to Legal Action Blog to get more updates on this new law and feel free to leave your comments below. We are happy to answer your questions and concerns. Keep in mind that we will be screening all the comments before posting them, to check for confidentiality concerns.
07/16/08
Anyone can succumb to road rage: Experts
Link: http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/live/article/84427
BRIAN TOWIE, METRO
Who does your typical road rager look like? You.
The phenomenon of fury behind the wheel has come to the fore once again after 55-year-old Antonio Greco was killed in what police are calling a deadly act of road rage last week on the James Snow Parkway near Milton.
Wayne Winsor, 39, faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident, criminal negligence and dangerous driving.
The victim’s family has since called for an end to aggression on the roadways.
But neither Greco nor Winsor fit the description of what experts have called likely road rage perpetrators: Young males under 30. Experts say that while a case this extreme is rare, it’s proof that anyone, particularly successful people, can blow their top and put themselves and others in harm’s way.
It’s more common than one might think: Angelo DiCicco, a 21-year driving instructor and general manager at Young Drivers of Canada, says out of the more than 500 professional drivers his school retrains per year, 95 per cent say they have been the subject of or subjected to road rage.
Control issue
“The most common acts of road rage don’t come from the Charlie Manson types who carry the bloody axe in the seat next to them, they come from people with above-average incomes and education,” adds Sgt. Cam Woolley of the Ontario Provincial Police.
“They’re successful people who interact well with the community around them and are referred to in a positive way. I think it’s a control issue. These people are used to being in charge of their lives, so when they get cut off or someone tailgates them, they react the wrong way.”
Incidents such as the one last week usually start with a mistake, says Woolley, followed by visual communication — a glare or offensive gestures, for instance. The situation can then escalate into aggression, then possibly violence if tempers flare high enough.
So what is it about the road that brings out the worst in people? Dr. David Wiesenthal, a York University psychology professor and co-author of Contemporary Issues In Road User Behavior And Traffic Safety, says the anonymity the car provides spurs people to act in ways they normally never would.
“Roads are a place where you see vengeance on a daily basis,” he said. “Speed and anonymity are factors: You have the car, which is both the weapon and the means of escape. You’ll probably never see that stranger again, so the social constraints are gone. You’re freer to deviate from social behaviour.”
Anonymity
Nevertheless, the protection from recognition the car affords drivers is no excuse to act aggressively, says Edyta Zdancewicz, media spokesperson for the Canadian Automobile Association.
“Road rage is essentially a selfish act, and it’s always serious. One life lost is too much,” she said. "It’s not something you can legislate out. The drivers have to take control of themselves. The onus is on all of us to use our common sense."
10/19/07
Targeting Speeders - Stunting Driving
A video from CityTV with reporter Dwight Drummond. Covering the new speeding law and what it means to the people.
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