In January 2015, Patrol officers from the Special Enforcement Unit and 8-District, which serves the communities of Lincoln, West Lincoln, and Grimsby, undertook a road safety campaign dubbed Operation Multi-Task.
The focus of Operation Multi-Task was to address drivers who continue to speed, drive impaired, drive while distracted, and fail to follow the rules of the road. Operation Multi-Task ran through the first quarter of 2015 as part of the Niagara Regional Police Service’s commitment to traffic safety.
During the three-month period, officers were deployed to the campaign around the clock operating both marked and unmarked police vehicles. As a result of the officers enforcement efforts a total of 1235 provincial offence notices were issued to drivers who put others at risk by engaging in these high risk activities. In addition to the provincial offence notices; officers arrested 10 drivers for driving while impaired by either alcohol or drugs, and arrested 2 drivers for other criminal code driving offences. Included in these numbers is the teenage driver who was charged with Stunting for driving 64 km/h over the limit because she was late for curfew. As well as the driver who was arrested at 4:45 pm for impaired driving with 5 times the legal blood alcohol limit.
The majority of the provincial offence notices were issued for speeding and distracted driving, which are among the top causes of fatal and serious injury collisions in the Niagara Region. This is particularly concerning because Operation Multi-Task took place during the worst snow and icy road conditions of the year, yet 1235 drivers continued to put others at risk by engaging in high risk driving behaviour.
The increased enforcement did make for safer roadways, as the communities of West Niagara saw zero fatal or serious injury motor vehicle collisions during the first quarter of 2015.
Chief Jeff McGuire, and the members of the Niagara Regional Police Service, are committed to making the roadways throughout Niagara safer with education and enforcement campaigns like Operation Multi-Task.
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