Peterborough County and Northumberland OPP launching collision reporting centres

Peterborough County OPP and Northumberland OPP will be launching Ontario’s newest collision reporting centres (CRC) on Monday.

The Peterborough County OPP’s CRC will located at the detachment on 453 Lansdowne St. E. in Peterborough.

Northumberland OPP’s CRC will be located at their detachment in Cobourg at 1165 Division St.

Under the Highway Traffic Act, drivers involved in collisions where there are injuries, property damage exceeding $2,000 or damage to highway property, are required to report to police.

The Peterborough CRC centre will be open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Saturdays from April to September from noon to 4 p.m. Signage with instructions and directions will be in place at the detachment.

The Cobourg CRC will be open weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays  9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will be closed on Sundays.

“Reporting to the collision reporting centre will meet this requirement,” stated Northumberland OPP administrative Sgt. Patrick Toms

Northumberland OPP responded to 2,479 collisions involving property damage between October 2018 and Sept. 30, 2020, which police say consumed a lot of police resources and at times put the people involved in the collisions at greater risk of injury or a secondary collision.

Toms says one goal of the collision reporting centre is to ensure property damage collisions no longer increase traffic congestion and reduce the chance of a more serious collision occurring.

“The Northumberland OPP will continue to offer the same excellent service in responding to collisions that require an officer to attend, however many collisions on Northumberland highways are minor in nature and drivers are able to clear their vehicles quickly and safely off the highway without police assistance,” stated Toms.

“An officer who attends a collision may direct those involved persons to attend the CRC if all the criteria are met.”

If drivers estimate that the total combined damage to the vehicles exceeds $2,000, they are required to report the collision to a CRC within 48 hours. By calling 1-888-310-1122, drivers will be provided with detailed information on what they need to do and where they can go to report the collision.

“The CRC will provide a more effective use of police resources and allow frontline officers to focus more time on proactive efforts to enhance public safety,” said Toms.

An involved driver at any collision may still request to have an OPP officer attend the scene if the collision has occurred in OPP jurisdiction.

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