LAVAL – A new police operation in Laval is using a unique approach to discourage drivers from speeding.
On Wednesday afternoon, Laval police were stopping people who were travelling over the speed limit and holding them at the site of a fake accident.
It’s all part of Opération Nationale Concertée, a campaign to promote road safety.
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Firefighters recreated a very realistic scene of an accident, rescuing the victims trapped in cars.
It is a scene they say speeders could easily find themselves in.
“They could become like me or like others injured in a flash, in the blink of an eye,” said Nicolas Steresco, one of several car crash victims who volunteered to speak to offenders on site.
Steresco told his story in an effort to sensitize them to the consequences of speeding.
Even after 15 years, emotions are still raw when Steresco speaks about the day he crashed.
“I thought I was Superman. Superman hit the wall, faster than he could believe,” Steresco said, while choking up.
“Because of what? Because he was going too fast.”
Steresco was speeding and lost control in a curve when he was 25-years-old.
The crash left him unable to work and once again depending on his parents.
He said Operation “Speed turns lives around” was the perfect occasion to try to prevent others from going through what he did.
“I had a big day and was late for supper,” Annie Bélanger, a speeding driver who was held at the site, said.
“It will make me think about it for next time.”
“This is more realistic but I don’t feel this is the best way to reach the biggest public,” Nicolas Tremblay said, while waiting for police to check his documents.
Tremblay said he thinks a Facebook campaign could reach a bigger audience.
While police checked to ensure all the drivers’ documents were in order, they did not issue any fines.
“We’re trying to let them know it’s not worth the two minutes that you’re gonna be home faster, to take the chances behind the wheel,” Evelyne Boudreau, with the Laval police said.
This campaign is taking place on the heels of the Laval police’s annual account report in 2015, which showed crime had dropped but road accidents – especially fatal ones – were at record highs.
In 2014, there were zero fatal accidents in Laval, while in 2015, there were nine.
The annual average is five.
Boudreau said police are trying to determine the cause of the accidents to be able to take specific action, but added that initiatives like Opération Nationale Concertée are of great help.
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