The Cobourg Police Service has started a traffic and pedestrian safety initiative that focuses on monitoring whether drivers are obeying traffic signals, especially at busy and collision-prone intersections.
“It seems to be a problem here, and I think, every place in Ontario — that everyone’s in a hurry, and today in particular,” said Acting Sgt. Cindy Reeves. “The weather is increasingly getting worse, and the last thing we want to see is people going through red lights because then we see an increase in traffic accidents.”
Reeves says she usually finds a safe spot to park her car and then observes an intersection.
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“The danger is when you have an intersection … and people are going north, but someone is making a left-hand turn so the danger of going through that red light is that impact could be in the turning motion, and that’s where we see a lot of accidents take place,” said Reeves.
Reeves says this is the most common type of collision she sees at intersections.
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If drivers are convicted, fines for failing to stop at a red light could be from $180 to $325 and include three demerit points.
“I would say today’s society is always in a hurry. People always have places to be, and they’re trying to get there quicker. People are connected to their technology so they’re so distracted, whether it’s distracted driving or they’re distracted by even speaking on Bluetooth and they miss the colour of the light,” said Reeves.
Reeves says it’s even more important to slow down on days with inclement weather and drive in accordance with the road conditions.
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