Born to Ride....Victoriously

Well, I figure I better continue about day 3 and 4 at the Great Lakes Police Motorcycle Competition to follow up the last blog post.

Day 3 was more of the basics.

Look and steer where you want to go.  I still found myself every once and a while looking at the obstacles that I was trying to avoid and sure enough I would hit them. 

When riding a motorcycle or a bicycle, driving a car or even just while walking, you need to look where you want to go.  In my time a s a police officer working traffic I used to be amazed when I would roll up on a collision scene where a single motor vehicle hit a pole or a tree or even a parked car.  To the right or left of the collision scene would be wide open space, but the vehicle would hit the only object around.

The reason is pretty obvious.  The operator was looking directly at the object even though that is what they were trying to avoid.  In some ways, this is natural.  The object represents the threat and therefore we fixate on it.  Turn your eyes to the open space and steer towards the space...not the object.

When you walk through a door way, you don't look at the jams on each side...you look and walk through the open space.

Back to the training seminar....When I would use the proper riding principals, brake, steer, accelerate, shift gears, look, use proper seating position all to their optimum I never had a problem.

By the end of day three, I was feeling confident and ready to compete the next day!

Day 4.

Fantastic!!! I went into the competition hoping to be competitive and ride to the best of my ability.  I gave up a few years ago when I left the motor unit of ever challenging for top riding honours.

Looking at the cone...guess what I hit

I took all the basics and put them together at the right time to be competitive.  If it wasn't for using the basics and reminding myself, "Do the simple things right", I might have had a bad day, but because I focused on the basics, I actually came off looking like I knew what I was doing.

Most importantly, the team of five Toronto Police Officer that attended the event all concentrated on the basics and we won the Team Competition.  Here is the break down of it all.

For the published version of the following article, click here.
(From the Toronto Police Web Story)

Born to Ride...Victoriously
Motorcycle riding is a skill you never lose – just as long as you’re up to speed with the latest training techniques.


The Toronto Police Service proved just that, as their five-member team, all of whom no longer perform regular bike duties, captured the individual and team titles at the recent Great Lakes Police Motorcycle Training Seminar in Cambridge, Ontario.

A total of 70 riders, from police services across the continent, took part in the four-day event designed to challenge officers on various theoretical and practical information and to improve their riding skills.

The training courses mirror real-life events and obstacles that police motorcycle officers could be faced with on the job.

For the second time in the event’s 13-year history, S/Sgt Andy Norrie won the individual award. He was also second in the challenge ride, third in the slow ride and fourth in the smart-ride competitions.

“I am pleased to achieve an individual award, but I am more thrilled that the TPS contingent won first place in the team event,” he said.

“This achievement continues to demonstrate that the TPS is a world leader in policing and the vital role that teamwork plays in our success.”

The rest of the team was made up of Sgts. Tim Burrows and Don White, Const. Pekka Jokiniemi and Auxiliary officer Mark Webber.

Jokiniemi, who works out of the Transit Patrol Unit, won the expert division non-fairing skills competition while Burrows came out on top in the challenge and partner-ride events. He also came in second in the last rider standing contest and fourth and fifth in smart and slow-ride competitions.

White finished fourth in the challenge ride and fifth in the fairing skills (expert division) competition.

For a complete run down of how all the competitors did, click this link


For more on the event there are some great YouTube vids...use 2011 GLPMTS or GLPMTS as your search term.

Expert Motorcycle Riding Begins with the Basics

Back when I was a motor officer for Traffic Services, I and many of my colleagues would participate in training seminars as often as we could to hone our skills, learn new tactics and enjoy the camaraderie of spending time with other motorcycle officers from around North America.

I've never won an overall competition award, but I have won many individual awards for skills, slow riding, partner riding and blind course challenges.  I have been an instructor for the Toronto Police and a signing authority with the Ministry of Transportation, so I can walk with a little swagger when I attend these events...but I don't.

This year's Great Lakes Police Motorcycle Training Seminar reminds me why, even with a lot of experience and hardware under my belt, a motorcycle is machine that will remind you very quickly who is in charge.

Day 1.
First time on the motorcycle since my spring re-qualification to operate a Toronto Police Motorcycle.  I broke into my usual pre-competition routine.  Bike inspection: fluids, cables, connectors, equipment, signals, lights, air pressures, tire condition.  That resulted in some adjustments and repairs.  Then a stationary brake test, not much good trying to go if you can't stop! Start it up and roll on to about 20k, then another brake test.  Go again to about 50k and a threshold brake test, with a collision avoidance move.  Now I was sure that I had a good safe ride; now warm ups.
I like to do circles, tight ones! Left and right, warm up the steering head and get used to leaning the bike over.

Ready to go, ride over to the skills courses and shut the bike down.  Time for a little walking.  I like to walk the track to see the course of travel and visualize the lines I need to travel to ensure getting through a sea of cones without hitting any.

Back on the bike, start it up and head to the first exercise.  I chose a simple four turn patter, easy enough build my confidence and get ready for the rest.  Through the entry gates and position myself for the first turn. I adjusted my speed, set my line and absolutely hit every cone possible!!
I made a big mistake!! I looked at the pylons.  Even with all my experience, I made a big mistake by looking at the obstacle I wanted to avoid.
Bike - 1 : Me - 0

Safety Tip: Where your eyes go, you go.  Look where you want to go and steer there.

Once I had that reminder under my belt, I was ready to try again. (Thanks to the "cone crew" volunteers who were kind enough to re-set the pylons).

I had a couple hours of getting used to riding for gold again and felt way better! Enter cocky and confident...not good on a motorcycle.

I was halfway through a tough course and was getting aggressive to really turn the bike on a dime.  (Uhm, 800 pound motorcycles don't turn on dimes).  I cranked the handle bars, started the turn and put in a little back brake.  Enter physics and gravity.  The loss of my momentum coupled with the turn steering added up to a loss of balance.  I slammed my size 12 foot into the ground to pop the bike back upright, gave the motor a little more gas to work with, got off the brake and felt the initial shock travel from my foot, through my leg, into my spine and finishing in my neck.  800 pound motorcycles also don't pop back up by a foot slamming into the ground.
Bike - 2: Me - 0

Safety Tip: When riding a motorcycle or bicycle you can't eliminate momentum while turning tight other wise Sir Isaac Newton will stop to say hello.

Well, all of that behind me and my ego in check again I was ready to ride.  So into the the course that I have been having great rides in all day.  Time to go fast!!

I got into the exercise and got a little off my choice of riding line so to make up for it, I had to turn hard, power through the turn and then brake hard to set up for the next turn.  Can  you see it coming?

That's right sports fans...harsh on the controls and trying to utilize multiple inputs at the same time.  Hello sea of cones and more work for the cone crew.  I was not smooth.  I was anything but smooth and I (the cones) paid for it.
Bike - 3: Me - 0

Safety Tip: Smooth inputs are always required.  Smooth is fast, sloppy is slow.  If you are using too much of any one input (steering, braking or accelerator) you are using up the availability of the others.

The rest of the day went really good.  Cobwebs gone, rust shaken off and reminders that if I am not in control of the bike, it's in control of the results.I felt really good, once I went back to the basics.

Tips:
Always inspect your equipment
Test your brakes
Warm up
Look and steer where you want to go
Maintain power to the rear wheel
Balanced inputs are smooth
Smooth is control

Day 2
Same start with inspection, testing and warm ups.

Into the cones.

Using everything that I had reminded myself of yesterday, I had a great day of riding the cones.

First competition: Last rider standing

This is a chess game.  Two riders line up on the outside of a large circle that has obstacles in it (hockey pucks, hard rubber balls and small pylons).  The idea is to force the other rider to hit an obstacle or ride out of bounds.  Essentially, plan your route not to hit anything and cause your opponent to hit something by planning their route for them.

It combines every skill you can think of. Steering, slow riding, quick acceleration, sudden stops and route planning.



That was a recap of the first two days from my perspective.

If you want to get your own look at it, head down the 401 to Conestoga College in Kitchener.  (Exit at Homer Watson Blvd, go north and take the first right.  You'll see it on your right hand side.

Click this link and you can see the schedule and all the events.

Driving in the rain

Well, apparently Mother nature doesn't think that we've had enough rain this spring.  April showers bring May rain and probably June down pours at the rate we're going.

There is a lot of standing water on our roads and pathways and over the next couple of days, it is expected to get worse.  So here is a reminder about driving in wet weather.

Wet Weather Driving Tips

How you drive can obviously make a significant impact on wet-weather safety. Be alert to the situation around you, including what other drivers are doing and how they are reacting to conditions. One of the best ways to avoid collisions is to always be prepared for the actions of others that will affect you.

• Leave yourself more time. Knowing that the drive will take longer prepare ahead of time by leaving for where you need to be earlier, don't try to make up time on the roads...it doesn't work and is very dangerous.
• Slow down before you encounter a problem, and be aware that your tires less grip available for stopping, steering and accelerating. Remember: Even four-wheel-drive and anti-lock brakes can't change the laws of physics.
• Never use your cruise control.
• Even a new tire can begin to hydroplane on wet surfaces, so watch your speed. If the steering begins to feel light and the car is splashing through deep puddles, gently reduce your throttle to allow the car to slow to a more manageable speed. Don't lift off the gas pedal abruptly or hit the brakes, since this could unsettle the tires' grip on the wet surface.
• Don’t drive your car through deep water on a flooded road. You simply cannot tell how deep the water is. It doesn't take much water to disable your vehicle or even float it off of the road surface. If you have any doubt about water depth, stop and go back the way you came.
• Use the speeds on your windshield wipers to help remove the amount of water that is hitting the windshield. This sounds simple, but some people forget that at higher road speeds you need higher wiper speeds.
• Be aware of the spray coming from passing trucks and oncoming cars. It may blind you temporarily, so anticipate this by turning on (or increasing the speed of) your wipers and by looking at what's happening to cars ahead of you.
• Turn down the radio and turn off your cell phone. Driving in heavy rain demands greater attention.
• If conditions become too intense, pull far off the road to a parking lot or side street and wait it out.
• If you travel through deep standing water lightly apply your brakes for a moment to dry them.

Preparing Your Car

If you are serious about driving in wet conditions, there are several things you can do to prepare your car:

• Make sure your wiper blades are like-new and that they still have a sharp wiping edge.
• Clean your wiper blades by running a damp cloth along their edges from time to time to remove the build-up of oils and debris that the wipers have removed from the windshield.
• Clean the interior and exterior glass surfaces of your vehicle.
• If your windshield is heavily pitted, it might be time for a replacement. Nothing lets you see better than a new windshield.
• Make sure that your headlights and taillights are working properly and that their lenses are clean and your turn on your full lighting package, not just day time running lights.
• Make sure your tires are inflated to manufacturer's specifications and have sufficient tread. To measure the tread use the ‘Bluenose Test’: place a dime in the tire’s groove with the Bluenose’s Sails facing down . If you can see the top of the Bluenose mass and sails, then your tires have sailed long enough and needs replacing. However, this test will not work with performance or off-road tires.

Considerations

Don't drive through standing water when pedestrians or cyclists are nearby.  It's bad enough getting wet because of the rain...getting a waterfall thrown at you is just cruel.

Be aware a cyclist may move out of the curb area due to standing water.  No one should drive into standing water for safety reasons, so give them room and know that it is their right as a vehicle on the road to occupy a full lane when necessary.

Be Safe

The biggest factor in safe wet-weather driving is you and your judgment. When visibility drops and the roads become flooded, only you can tell when it is time to pull off and take a break. Sure, it may take you a bit longer to reach your destination, but in the end, the few minutes spent to be safe will be worth it.

Alternatives to Driving

Public transit is the best choice to avoid the need for driving in wet weather. Leave the driving up to someone else.

Parking Offences

There always seems to be some confusion about what no parking actually means.  So let's see if we can clear some of this up.

There are three general on road offences that are regulated by sign.

No Parking
No parking means that you can stop your vehicle for the purpose of letting passengers in or out or dropping off / picking up packages.  This is short term.



No Standing

No standing means that you can stop your vehicle only for the purpose of letting passengers in or out of your car.  You'll find that most TTC Stops for example are in a no standing zone.


No Stopping

Pretty self explanatory.  You can't stop your car for any reason, except if directed by police, break down.


You have to look carefully at signs to determine allowable times since many areas will be governed by multiple signs.  An example of this is a rush hour route.  It may be OK to park in a specific area from 9:30am to 11:30am but then the area becomes a No Standing Zone until 1:30pm.  That same area may then become a No Stopping Zone at 3:30pm to 6:30pm.

Bicycle Lanes
Almost all of them that I have seen are in areas that are governed by No Stopping Signs.  This no stopping anytime regardless of how long or function. (See exceptions)  There is no specific charge for parking in a bike lane.  It falls to the no stopping offence.

Handicapped Spaces
Reserved for vehicles that bear a handicap permit that is visible.  The person that is named on the permit must be using it, or being transported in the vehicle.  In other words, if your elderly parents have a handicap permit and you are using their chauffeur, you can't use a designated space to shop at the mall unless they are physically with you.

Fire Routes
You may think it's no big deal to stop momentarily in them but they are allocated for the express purpose of fire vehicles to use for parking or for access.  Block a fire route and a ticket could be the least of your concerns.

Exemptions from Parking Rules
These are fairly obvious...Emergency Vehicles, (Ambulance, Fire, Police) and Public Works vehicles, all while in the course of their duties.

Towing
If your vehicle has received a parking infraction notice, your vehicle is eligible for a ride to a towing pound.  Rush hour routes...say good bye.  We work at keeping these free and clear to facilitate an optimum flow of traffic.
Relocation's occur from time to time for major events or emergency reasons.  Your vehicle won't be far, it's usually moved around the corner, a street over or across the street.  Just call 416-808-2222 and provide your licence plate number and we will be able to pinpoint the location for you.

Resources for more information

Toronto Police
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/parking/
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/parking/avoid_parking_ticket.pdf
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/traffic/towing_boundaries_and_pound_locations.pdf
(Caution on towing rates posted on this pdf...they may change. This is not the official rate notice)

City of Toronto
http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/parking/regulations.htm
http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/parking/index.htm

I'm sure there will be questions, so feel free to ask away.  I will answer them or direct you to the best resource for your answer.

2010/2011 School Crossing Guard of the Year

The following note was read by the Toronto Police Services Board Chair, Dr. Alok Mukherjee to honour the 2010/2011 School Crossing Guard of The Year, Ms Lois Fulton.



Crossing Guard of the Year Award Presentation


"Each year we receive many nominations for the Crossing Guard of the Year Award. It is a very difficult task to choose just one person from all the nominations. All those who were nominated by their divisional co-ordinators should be very proud of their accomplishments.

Tonight we will honour a guard from 31 Division.


At the time of these incidents, Ms. Lois Fulton was employed by 31 division on a part time basis (Spare Guard). She was a guard for 15 years prior to taking some time off for medical reasons. She returned in 2009 on a part time basis, but is now employed on a full time basis working the intersection of Grandravine Dr. and Sentinel Rd.

There are three letters from the public describing the actions of this guard. Two of the letters describe the first situation at Grandravine and Sentinel, one from a witness and one from the victim’s mother. These letters are written by new Canadians who struggle with English, in one case the grandson (grade two, approx. seven years old helped with the letter, the mother of the victims also received help to write her letter). The fact that two people who struggle with the English language took the time to write these letters speaks to their passion with respect to the actions of this guard. The third letter is from the victim and describes the situation at Lawrence and Ralph.

In February Lois was working at the intersection of Grandravine and Sentinel. Two families approached the intersection, the witness with his seven year old grandson and the victim’s mother with her infant in a stroller and her twin four year olds boys.


On this day the twins were not listening to, or obeying their mother. They approached the intersection, the mother pushing the baby in the stroller. The boys ran off into the intersection. A car was approaching the intersection at a high rate of speed, the driver, while talking on a cell phone, did not stop at the stop sign. The childrens mother screamed, the guard ran out into the intersection, dropped her stop sign, scooped the boys up in her arms and ran them across the street. She slipped once but maintained her hold on the boys and then pushed them out of the way. The guard was now directly in the path of the oncoming car. The guard jumped and at the last second the driver saw her and swerved his car narrowly missing her. The mother continued to watch in horror and scream for the safety of her children and the crossing guard. The car continued very quickly through the intersection and no one was able to obtain a licence plate. The witness further advised that he saw this guard save two other children on two other dates, unfortunately no details of these events were given. Both the witness and the boys mother stated that they wanted this guard to remain at this intersection on a full time basis. They further stated that the guard takes the time to talk to the children and teach them how to safely cross the street and the importance of listening to their parents.


In April Lois was working at the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Ralph St. Ms. (edited), an 80 year old woman who advises she is not in good health was crossing the street with her shopping buggy. Ms. (edited) advised that she is no longer able to care for herself so is moving in to live with her son. This incident occurred on April 14th and she was to move in with her son on April 16th.


As Ms. (edited) was crossing the street she stepped in a crack in the road, her hip gave out and she began to fall in the path of a large cement truck. Ms. (edited) advised that she did not have the ability to get out of the way and thought she was going to die. All of a sudden Lois ran to her and pulled her out of the way just in time. Ms. (edited) grocery buggy was not so lucky. As Ms. Ronston states it was “a small price to pay” for her life. Ms. Ronston states that Lois seems to genuinely care about the people she crosses as they both could have been killed.


All of the citizens in these incidents cannot praise Lois enough for her selfless acts of courage to save the lives of others without thoughts for her own safety.

(left to right) Superintendent Chris White, 31 Division, Lois Fulton, Dr. Alok Mukherjee.

Lois is the epitome of our Service Mission Statement and is truely making our city the best place to be by teaching safety to our youth one child at a time. She is helping with the Sevice Priority of pedestrian safety and displays the core values of reliability and positive attitude."

Traffic Safety Quiz on Twitter / Facebook

Today at 10am @TrafficServices will be doing a traffic safety quiz on Twitter and Facebook.
(Sorry for anyone whose wall gets filled by this, but hey, it's all in the name of public safety.

On Twitter follow the hash tag #trafficsafety.
Please include that hash tag with your response or comments.

Questions will be identified as Q1, Q2, Q3, etc.  answers should be #trafficsafety A1, A2, A3, etc.

At the end of the quiz, I will post resources and links for more information.

This is a 3 part quiz consisting of 15 questions.  It will move fast, but I will try to give everyone time to respond if they wish.

Feel free to ask supplemental questions and I will attempt to answer those as well.

Please ReTweet (RT) any information that you find useful or relevant.

As always, keep the answers clean and respectful.

The goal of this is to raise awareness with education for issues regarding road safety in the drive to reduce collisions, injury and death.

Thanks, have fun and see you there.

This is meant to be fun and educational so enjoy it!!!

Safety Features on Vehicles

Last Friday I asked for your input on Twitter and Facebook the following question.

In total there were 21 different responses.  That’s amazing.  What is even more amazing is that the vast majority of the safety features that you brought up have been added to vehicle design in the last generation or so.

When I look at the list that you put together it has become clear that the changes to the design of vehicles have come at a heavy price…the multiple deaths of people both inside and outside the vehicle.

It has been because of those deaths that many of the advancements in vehicle design have come to be.

Here is the complete list:

Tires

Seatbelts

Collision detection radar

Headlights

Taillights

Signals

Airbags

Anti lock brakes

Electronic stability control / traction control

Dynamic head restraints

Crumple zones

Energy absorbing materials

Brakes

Child safety seats

Horn

Side impact beams

Windows

Mirrors

Back up sensors

Child locks

The number one answer given was seatbelts followed in order by, airbags, brakes, headlights and tires.

I’m going to focus on a few of the items that you are in complete control of.  You can’t do much about crumple zones, side impact beams or energy absorbing materials.  For those, we should thank the manufacturers for placing those items into the design of vehicles

Seatbelts – 1976 it became mandatory for the use of seatbelts.  Since that time deaths have been decreasing. There is no arguing their importance.  Still some people don’t wear them.

Anti-lock brakes / Brakes – These are a given.  But so many people rely on them alone for getting them out of trouble.  Proper following distance will extend the life of your brakes.

Lights / Signals– Daytime running lights were a great addition to the safety features of lighting. Most systems only turn on the headlights though and don’t activate the taillights in inclement weather conditions.  Make sure you flip your entire system on for best visibility.  Signaling (including the horn) is the only way you can communicate with the outside word of what your intentions are.  We get along on the roads so much better when we all know what is going on with each other.

Tires – Most people have no idea how small the area of contact is that attaches your vehicle to the road.  Making sure that your tires are in great condition, at the proper pressure and have adequate tread depth is so important.

Everything in the list that you all added are all great safety features.  Here is the last one that I will talk about…the driver.

A few of you mentioned the driver as a present safety feature.  In my humble opinion, this is the most important safety feature.  It doesn’t matter what safety equipment you have.  How much your car cost or how incredible the features are.

The driver’s attitude, behaviour and ability are truly what makes the difference in terms of road safety.   Great drivers obey the laws, drive within the limits of the road, the vehicle and the equipment.  Great drivers respect other road users.  Give me a great driver with ‘bad’ equipment any day over a bad driver with the best equipment.  Great drivers understand that even with their own great abilities, other drivers don’t share the same skill so they are ready for the errors of others.

Thank you all for your input into this list.  Use all your safety equipment available.  Drive within the limits of conditions (road, weather and ability) and be a great road user.

Pedestrian collision prevention - Education, Awareness and Responsibility

My daughters are in the thick of learning how to read right now.  Some words they see and say, some they sound out and get right, while others they just can’t find the ways yet to put the sounds together and miss it completely.

When that happens, I have a choice to make.  Do I help them with the word or just ignore their mistakes and let them go on repeating their errors?  I mean, at their age, who really cares…it’s not like they are reading anything that can be the difference between passing their grade or failing…yet.  But I can assure you, if their errors aren’t pointed out, it will make a huge difference someday.  As painful as it may be, pointing out their errors is in their best interest for long-term success.

It’s a lot like pedestrian safety.  My partner and I had a very busy day answering media questions about the ‘sudden spike’ in pedestrian collisions over the last 48 hours.  (If you go back to just before Halloween, we were warning people that this was going to happen.)

The media wanted to know who is to blame, who is at fault, why is this happening and why people aren’t getting the message.  So we responded to the questions.

Who is to blame?

Simple…road users.

Who is at fault?

Simple…road users who aren’t aware, alert and observant.

Why is this happening?

Human error, distraction, environment, daylight savings time, clothing choices, ambient light, on and on.

Why aren’t people getting the message?

No answer from me…I guess you would have to ask the people who are causing the problems.

You see, road safety is everyone’s responsibility.  Plain and simple.  Everyone who uses the roads plays a role in the ensuring safety for themselves and for the other road users around them.

When a pedestrian is stuck by a vehicle, the pedestrian will always be on the losing end.  The easy thing to do would be to blame the driver for not doing their part in ensuring the safety of the pedestrian.  But, sometimes that is not the right thing to do, nor is it ever the proper thing to do for long term success of reducing collisions, injury and death.

A pedestrian who isn’t watching where they are going, disobeying traffic signals, impeding traffic, wearing dark clothes at night, crossing mid-block is not doing anything to help keep our roads safe.  They aren’t doing anything to keep themselves safe.

A driver who is distracted, travelling too fast for conditions, not looking where they need to be, impaired, etc,  is not doing anything to help keep our roads safe.  They aren’t doing anything to keep themselves safe and they aren’t doing anything to keep pedestrians safe.

A pedestrian who crosses a street mid-block at night wearing dark clothing, texting, where street lights are burnt out while listening to an MP3 player is doing nothing in terms of taking personal responsibility for their own safety.  According to many people today, I should ignore that and never point things out like that because I could be blaming the ‘victim’ (I’ll get to that in a minute).

You bet I’m going to point that out!

Now, what if a car strikes that pedestrian?  You bet I’m going to question why the driver didn’t see the pedestrian.  I’m going to ask about the speed, the lighting the location, the sight lines, the environment.  I’m going to point out that each road user has responsibility for one another.

Interviews

This whole post is because of how interviews are turned into reports.  You can be sure that when PC Hugh Smith and I are interviewed we look at all angles of any incident and where there is a safety message to any category of road user, driver, cyclist, pedestrian or transit user, we include it.

Anytime there are two people involved, each of their actions will be analyzed.  If there is any message that we can bring to light to help educate and raise awareness, we’ll bring it up.

But, no matter what we say, we do not have the last word.  It is always up to the reporters to file and even then, editors and producers have their opportunity to massage a report.  So the final copy rarely tells the whole story.

So when you read or watch, understand that there is way more information that doesn’t make a story than does.

Victim

In traffic safety, we avoid referring to anyone as a victim.  Since a pedestrian is considered a vulnerable road user, (none or little protection), people naturally refer to them as the victim.  They do get the worst of it after all. We refer to them as the injured party. Simply stated they are not always the victim.  A pedestrian that steps onto the roadway into the path of the car, not allowing the driver any opportunity to avoid striking that pedestrian can very successfully be argued as the actually the victim of someone else’s action.  Sure the pedestrian is going to be on the losing end.

All the parties involved are victimized in one manner or another.  Our society as a whole can be argued as the victims.  Because of a bad crash, roads get closed, transportation flow is compromised, people miss meetings, goods are delayed, infrastructure suffers, etc…we are all victims. 

In the end, if our road safety messaging is interpreted as placing blame, then so be it.  I would rather point out the mistakes that have led to road tragedies in an effort to educate others from making the same mistakes then to ignore the obvious and allow the same mistakes to be perpetuated.

So, that’s my view. What are yours? Agree, disagree? Let me know.  The communication is what creates awareness and education.  Thanks for reading.

Sharing the road with streetcars

Streetcars present a unique challenge to Toronto road users, but at the same time are very simple to share the road with.  A couple of things that make them easy to be around is that they can't change lanes, they are very visible and they are only found on roads with rail lines running on them.  They only turn onto roads that also have intersecting tracks, but they do make those turns from lanes that we aren't accustomed to seeing traffic legally turn from.  In fact, if you make the same turn they do...you will be charged.

They are recognized in the Highway Traffic Act because there are specific laws regarding them and how you need to behave around them to be sharing the road with them for every one's safety.

Almost every law that applies to the driver of a motor vehicle or a cyclist applies to the operator of a streetcar and vice verse.

You can pass a streetcar that is in motion on the right side only.  Like every rule, there are exceptions...

1. If the streetcar is travelling on a one-way street, you can pass it on the left.
2. You can not pass on the right through the approach area of a pedestrian crossover.

Always look at a streetcar as a moving intersection, after all it does have stop signs on it.  When a streetcar is approaching an intersection don't try to pass it.  You can safely assume that it is going to stop. When it stops, the side doors may or may not open.  The safest practice is to stay behind the streetcar until it goes into motion again.

You can't see past it so trying to pass it at an intersection is a recipe for trouble in the case where a pedestrian is trying to catch it from the side you can't see or a car/cyclist blows a red light and creams you as you clear the front of the streetcar.

When the doors are open it is against the law to pass it or approach the doors to closely.  This applies to both motor vehicle drivers, cyclists, skateboarders, roller bladers, e-bikes, etc.

Pedestrians are not allowed onto the roadway until the streetcar has come to a full stop and the doors have opened.  Having said that...they will, so again, go back to the point of don't pass a streetcar as it nears an intersection.

For those of you that complain that streetcars enter intersections on amber lights, you should know that there is a mechanism on them that talks to the intersection.  It holds that light amber so that the streetcar can make it through which creates a better traffic flow for all of us.

The LRT lines are designed to specifically allow a free flow of traffic around the street car lanes.  No vehicles are allowed on them except streetcars and other authorized TTC vehicles.  (You will on occasion see police, fire and ambulance use them - seconds save lives).

Make sure when you are travelling parallel to LRT lines (Spadina, Queens Quay, StClair to name a few) that you pay attention to the traffic signals especially at turning points.  The streetcars have their own signals as do you....mix them up and you run the risk of being T-boned by 20 tonnes or so of metal.

Here are some safety tips from the TTC website

Here is the Highway Traffic Act

People argue to be able to drink and drive!

Why do people still insist on driving after they have been drinking? Why do drivers speed at ridiculous rates through residential neighbourhoods, or anywhere else for that matter?

I had the misfortune today of attending a fatal crash in North York this morning. A car was travelling at a high rate of speed and was T-boned in an intersection on a quiet little side street.

The debris field was huge. 2 cars absolutely destroyed. 1 person dead and 4 sent to hospital. One of the drivers was arrested for an alcohol offence related to driving. The car he was driving was the one that the deceased person was in, that was allegedly speeding and allegedly went through a stop sign.

Between Twitter and Facebook there were lots of messages condemning drinking and driving and aggressive driving. That led to some conversation about the new 21 and under law. Surprisingly in some of that conversation stream, people were willing to chastise the new law for being age discriminatory or unacceptable on some level because of a Zero BAC requirement.

WHAT??? Why in the world would people argue to be able to drink and drive. I mean that's really what it comes down to. That is what you are arguing for...to defend your desire to drink and drive. Think about it. If you argue against a zero BAC, or the newer "Warn Range" Suspensions being too restrictive, or the legal limit being too low, you are arguing in essence to be allowed to drive a 2000 pound weapon with an an intoxicant in your system!

How about supporting the notion of someone drinking while walking down the street with a loaded machine gun.

I had a number of people ask my opinion on the law and what I believe. Some asked if I believe it should be just 21 and under or all drivers. Well, you probably know me well enough by now to know what my answer was:

IF YOU DRINK, DON'T DRIVE!

Do we tolerate too many traffic deaths?

This is the title of a New York Times article from May 27, 2010. Some of the people who I receive regular updates from their writings and agencies were interviewed for the article.

I don't respond to a many articles I read but this one I felt compelled to. The reason? This is a topic that I agree completely with. We DO tolerate too many traffic deaths.

Here is my response. (#41 of the comment section.) Does that mean I can say that I have been published in the NYT?!?

Do we tolerate too many traffic deaths? Yes we do!

I fail to see why there is a debate with this issue. One death on our roads is one too many. The goal of zero deaths is honourable, but not likely. Having said that, any progress to attaining that goal is worthwhile and necessary.

Recently the world went into a sate of panic and fear based on a disease that killed a few hundred people and was classified as a pandemic. Governments were throwing obscene amounts of money towards the prevention, treatment and education for the public and health officials.

Yet, the pandemic numbers of injured and dead from the H1N1 globally did not come close to the number of injured and dead in any civilized nation.

You can argue cause and reason, factors and formulas or environment and engineering all you want. The common denominator is human behaviour which leads to human error. The worlds safest roadways can become filled with the bodies of dead and injured by the factor of disregarding simple safety and common sense rules while the worst roads travelled with awareness, adherence to laws, operating within safety guides for the conditions and alert behaviours can be injury and death free.

I believe the media, insurance companies, governments and law enforcement bears the burden of one major problem in the acceptance of road deaths and injuries. The term accident became part of the vernacular of describing collisions and crashes somewhere along the way and has cemented itself there.

Accident makes the liability, blame and cause of collisions minimal at best and creates an escape clause for those responsible for the event. I saw an insurance company website recently that promoted a "responsibility project" that used the term accident all through their material. If any industry has a reason to put blame and fault where it belongs, its the insurance industry.

Collisions are predictable and preventable. Drive distracted, impaired, fatigued, aggressive, unaware or unskilled and you will cause injuries and or death.

Do we tolerate too many traffic deaths? Yes we do. One person with one gun and fifteen bullets on a rampage would be national headlines for days/months. That persons actions, background, triggers, soci-economic status and position n society would make for grand headlines and debate.

One person with one car driving impaired or aggressive, distracted or unskilled has at any given moment in a city or urban environment, the potential to kill many, many more people, but yet we respond with barely a raised eyebrow at that person being arrested or crashing without incident.

Last point. Think of the money that is directed to health care and the legal industries from the results of collisions. Billions of dollars to treat the injured, facilitate long term disability changes, prosecute accused persons, incarcerate those and pay for the ensuing law suits. I have no idea how much money is directed to just those two ares, but suffice to say; could you imagine how many hungry children could be fed with that money. How many seniors could receive better and more adequate health care. How many veterans could be honourably be taken care of for their service to our countries. The laundry list of positive uses of the redirection of those monies is long and far better for the overall good of our communities.

Do we tolerate too many traffic deaths? Yes, sadly we do. So lets stop tolerating them. Train better drivers, punish those appropriately who endanger public safety, place the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of those that deserve it and treat the totality of event for what they are...an ongoing pandemic.

Sgt. Tim Burrows
Toronto Police Service - Traffic Services

For the article click here.

Photo credit: Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel, via Associated Press

Life or Death...Which one do you want?

A couple of weeks ago, the Toronto Police took part in the Provincial Spring Seat Belt Campaign. We do this every year to support our other policing and safety partners to raise awareness, educate the public and of course give out some tickets. (Yes, there is your opportunity to tell me that this is just another cash grab, revenue generating program...but before you do that remember, its your choice if you want a ticket or not.)

One of our major points of focus this year was child safety seats. Through several inspection

clinics that we run every year across Toronto we regular see 80 to 90 percent of child seats that are installed incorrectly.

As a police officer, I have seen first hand the importance. You only need to see the pain in a parents face as their child is attended to by medical staff because they suffered injuries which could have been prevented had their child been properly restrained. As a father I know the importance of ensuring my children are always restrained properly in their child safety seats.

The biggest problem that I have seen about improper car seat installations is that they are simply not in tight enough. Parents put the seat belts around the seat or the latch system in place snug it down and then that's it. What about when the child gets in the seat? Do you not think their weight will create extra movement on the seat since it is no longer snug?

So, when you put your seat in, put your weight on it...pull the belts tight. Once your weight is out of it, the seat won't move. Some parents have told me that they are afraid of putting wight in it because they don't want to break it! Come on, let it break then as opposed to in a crash. (The reality is it won't break).

One of the most frustrating calls we receive is from a frantic father who has been told that he can't take his child home from the hospital because he doesn't have a proper car seat. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST 9 MONTHS...Didn't have enough time?

You can call 416-808-1975 to get information on child seat inspection clinics that are near you.

The last thing I want to talk about is what a seat belt is designed to do. It is not designed to save your life or prevent injuries. It is designed to keep you in your car and in your seat.

• Does it save lives? YES
• Does it reduce injuries? YES
• Have people died while wearing them? YES
• Have people been injured while wearing them? YES

Have less people been killed and have less injuries occurred? YES

The law is:

• One belt / one person
• All under 16 must be belted (driver responsible)
• Lap and shoulder belt must be worn properly
• All seat belts must function if someone is sitting in that spot

There are no exemptions for:

• "I was only going a short distance."
• "I just got back in the car after a quick stop."
• "But, my kids were acting up."
• "This is the first time I haven't worn it."

If you are on the road, your belt has to be on your body. If your children are in the car, they have to be secured in their properly installed seats.

Which price would you rather pay? Death or injury. Life or death, which one do you want?

Want to leave a comment? Agree, disagree? Let me know what you think. What if Health Care refused to cover you for injuries that were caused by the lack of use of a sat belt...like going through the windshield.

Similar Posts

Child Seat Inspection Clinic

Provincial Seat Belt Campaign

OPRAH is on my Blog!!

OK, so I cut and pasted a widget onto the blog that has Oprah expressing her wishes that everyone treat

April 30th, 2010 as a day to really make road safety a priority with her "NO PHONE ZONE."

Oprah has teamed up with the Toronto Police Service to push road safety issues to make Toronto safer! Actually she is helping out everyone who shares an interest for safer roads.

The NO PHONE ZONE is a movement to get people to not have a communications device (cell phone, iPhone, BlackBerry...whatever) in your car.

In Ontario it's the law. You have to hands free abilities or a wired set which allows your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. But is that really enough?

I have said so many times, "It's not the device, it's the distraction." Talking on the phone takes away from the priority of driving and that priority is a huge responsibility! You are driving a couple tonnes of metal down the road which has the potential to injure, maim and kill.

Multi-tasking ability is an asset when you are juggling business projects and emails and spread sheets and so on and so on. Multi-tasking is not an asset when you are driving. There should only be one task...DRIVING SAFELY!!

So, make your vehicle a NO PHONE ZONE on Friday April 30th for Oprah...make your vehicle a NO PHONE ZONE everyday for the rest of us, and yourself. Who knows, you could be saving a life...yours.

Sign the NO PHONE ZONE Pledge by clicking here. There is also a lot of information on the link page

What do you think? Is one day enough to remind everyone or is this something we should be doing everyday.

What's your opinion about Ontario's Distracted Driving Legislation. Did it go to far or not far enough. I would love to know what you think!

Child Seat Inspection Clinic and Press Conference

Media and Public Advisory
Toronto Area Child Seat Safety Coalition
Child Seat Inspection Clinic and Press Conference
Thursday April 22, 2010 8:30a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
2525 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto (Wal-Mart)

Broadcast time: 8:00 a.m.
Wednesday April 21, 2010

Traffic Services
416-808-1900

On Thursday April 22, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. the Toronto Area Child Seat Safety Coalition will be conducting a child seat inspection clinic at 2525 St.Clair Ave. West in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

A new public awareness campaign regarding child seat safety will be launched during a 10:30 a.m. press conference by members of the coalition which includes the Ministry of Transportation, Toronto Police, Toronto Fire, Toronto Public Health and York Region Health.

No appointments are necessary for the clinic, but it is advised that vehicles arriving after 12:00 p.m. will be turned away.

It is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of all child seat installations are not done according to vehicle and manufacturer recommendations. The proper installation may greatly reduce the risk of injury or death to a child in the event of a collision.

The Toronto Police Service operates a local phone number, 416-808-1975, which provides information on inspection clinics. Other information can be found on our website, the Ministry of Transportation website and the City of Toronto website.

If you haven't had the opportunity to view this very powerful video, take a minute to do so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-8PBx7isoM

Warn Range Suspensions

I felt like I needed to do a blog post this week but wasn't sure what it was going to be about. There are so many topics to choose from in the world of Traffic Safety. Then the topic was provided to me.

I came into work this morning and received a notice that the Toronto Police Service issued it's first 30 day suspension under the Province's Bill 203 Legislation. That means this one driver, a 30 year old male from Scarborough, has been issued two previous suspensions for registering in the warn range for alcohol in his system while driving.

That's the legislation that recognized driver's who operate a motor vehicle under the legal limit but with alcohol in their system had to be recognized, tracked and made more accountable for their poor choices. As far as all police are concerned, if you drink the choice is simple...DON'T DRIVE!!

Let's review.

The legal limit to operate a motor vehicle under the Criminal Code of Canada is .08. In normal terms that means there are 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood of the tested subject. Anything over that warrants a charge of Drive Over 80 mgs.

The warn range is the area between .05 and .079.

Prior to May 1, 2009 the suspensions were 12 hours and you could pick up your licence at a police station after the 12 hours passed. On May 1st last year, Bill 203 took effect which created sanctions for those persons who registered readings in the Warn Range.

For a 1st time instance in that range, you will receive a 3 day licence suspension. Your licence is forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation.

For a 2nd instance: driver suspended for seven days and must undergo remedial alcohol education program

Third or subsequent instance: driver suspended for 30 days, must undergo remedial alcohol treatment program and have ignition interlock condition on their licence for six months.

This legislation, agree with it or not, is extremely important to the protection of the public and forwarding road safety measures.

Benefits of Bill 203 (The drinking and driving part of it)

First, it allows for the tracking of drivers who have registered breath readings in this area. Those drivers who choose to drink and drive are considered high risk road offenders in that action alone. Now, we can get a better picture of how many of those drivers continue to put all of us at risk with their potentially deadly choices.

Second, it allows for a measure of prevention. I know I don't want to risk losing my licence for 3 days, let alone having that on my divers abstract...did I mention that? Sorry, each time that you register in that range, it goes on your drivers abstract...can you imagine what insurance companies think about drivers who are considered high risk?

Finally, the legislation makes it possible to educate those people who not only self identify as high risk road users, but creates an opportunity for those persons to be educated as to the dangers of their choices.

Now, before you start talking about the government and the police are taking away all your fun, remember, it's not illegal to drink if you are of legal drinking age. It's not even illegal to drink before driving. It is illegal to drink too much before driving. You are your own liquor control board. So the choice is 100% up to you.

Our message is simple if you want to drink, go ahead, but if you are going to be driving have a plan not to drive and stick with it. Public transit, cabs, designated drivers, hotels are all great options and a lot less expensive than defending yourself against criminal charges, tow bills and the real price that would be paid if you kill or injure yourself or others.

What do you think? Do you like the legislation, feel it's too harsh or maybe that it doesn't go far enough. Let me know.

For more information on Bill 203 click here.

Provincial Seatbelt Campaign

Traffic Safety continues to be a priority of the Toronto Police Service.

The 2010 Provincial Seat Belt Campaign, with the full support of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, is a combined public awareness and enforcement campaign aimed at getting more drivers and passengers to buckle up. Using seat belts is proven to be an effective way to reduce vehicle related injuries and fatalities.

Minister of Transportation, Kathleen Wynne, will be joined by Margaret Best, Minister of Health Promotion, O.P.P. Chief Superintendent Bill Grodzinski, Toronto Police Inspector Gord Jones and Safe Kids Canada, Kristen Gane.

Two students from Leaside High School, along with Minister Wynne will be spray painting a mural reminding motorists to “Buckle Up”, which will be hung at the kick off location.

It is estimated that, for every 1% increase in seat belt use, five lives are saved in Ontario every year.

The spring seat belt campaign will focus on drivers who fail to properly secure their children safely. Child Safety Seat clinics have shown that 80% of car seats are installed or used incorrectly.

All police officers will pay particular attention to the proper restraint of all vehicle occupants, including young children, by ensuring the proper use of child restraints.

Some of the offences Toronto Police Officers will be looking for are:

• Drive with seat belt removed/inoperative/modified
• Driver − fail to properly wear seat belt
• Drive while passenger under 16 fails to occupy position with seat belt
• Passenger − fail to properly wear seat belt
• Drive while passenger under 16 fails to properly wear seat belt.
• Fail to ensure infant properly secured
• Fail to ensure toddler properly secured
• Fail to ensure child properly secured

Seatbelt infractions issued by a police officer have a set fine amount of $240 and upon conviction drivers will be assessed 2 demerit points against their license.

For more information on Child Safety Seats, click here.

Traffic Services is dedicated to ensuring the safe and orderly movement of traffic within the City of Toronto. Stay informed with what’s happening at Traffic Services by following us on Twitter (TrafficServices), and Facebook (Toronto Police – Traffic Services).

Beach Easter Parade - Road Closures

Toronto Police News Release Re-Post

Broadcast time: 06:00 Friday, April 2, 2010

Special Events 416−808−5053

Annual Beaches Easter Parade, Queen Street East, Sunday, April 4, 2010, 2 p.m., Road closures

On Sunday, April 4, 2010, the annual Beaches Easter Parade will take place at 2 p.m.

The procession will start from Queen Street East and Munro Park Avenue, and continue along Queen Street East to Woodbine Avenue.

As a result of this event, a full road closure will take place on Queen Street East, and on parts of Nursewood Road, Woodbine Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard East. A number of secondary roads will also be closed or partially closed, affecting traffic flow.

Road closures:

Queen Street East (partial road) Munro Park Avenue to Fallingbrook Road, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Queen Street East (full road) Munro Park Avenue to Fallingbrook Road, and Nursewood Road (full road) Queen Street East to 24 Nursewood Road, from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Queen Street East (full road) Woodbine Avenue to Fallingbrook Road, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Woodbine Avenue (full road) Queen Street East to Lakeshore Boulevard East Lakeshore Boulevard East (full road) Coxwell Avenue to Woodbine Avenue, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The TTC will be re−routing buses / street cars during the event.

This event will take place regardless of weather conditions. Members of the public should anticipate significant traffic issues.

P.S. - The traffic cone monster was not in the original TPS Release...that was my own little touch of humour.

Project Spring Clean Up - Results

Dozens of police officers swept the streets clean of unsafe commercial vehicles as part of the two-day Project Spring Cleanup.The third annual joint law-enforcement-services operation saw over half the commercial vehicles pulled over and inspected at Woodbine Racetrack taken out of service by officers.

The focus of the blitz was to ensure pickups, cube vans and tractor-trailers are operated safely and have proper documentation.“Keeping vehicles safe on the roads saves people’s lives and prevents horrific injuries from occurring,” 23 Division Supt. Ron Taverner said, of the reasons behind the Rexdale-area enforcement blitz.

“There are also savings in property damage and insurance rates in keeping these vehicles safe.”Police officers from the OPP, Peel, Halton, York, and Guelph, as well as enforcement officers from the Ministry of Transportation, Revenue and Environment participated in inspecting the vehicles.Vehicle inspection numbers:

Total Vehicles checked – 358
Highway Traffic Act/Commercial Motor Vehicle Charges – 247
Vehicles taken out of service – 172
Transporting Dangerous Good charges – 4 (Improper training, insecure loads)
Contraband cigarettes charge – 1
Arrests – 4
(Marijuana possession – 2, Obstruct police – 1, Fail to Comply with Bail Conditions – 1)

Project Spring Cleanup

Woodbine race track, 555 Rexdale Boulevard, north west parking lot,

Project Spring Cleanup,
Truck Inspection Blitz

23 Division
416−808−2300

23 Division will conduct a Heavy Truck and Commercial vehicle enforcement blitz, Project Spring Cleanup, from Thursday, March 25, 2010, to Friday, March 26, 2010.

This enforcement initiative will be a joint−forces venture involving the Ontario Provincial Police, Peel Regional Police, York Regional Police, Halton Regional Police Service, Guelph Police Service, and the Ontario Ministries of Transportation, Environment and Revenue.

The location for Project Spring Cleanup will be Woodbine race track, 555 Rexdale Boulevard, in the north west parking lot, at 8 a.m.

The primary goal is public safety, through the removal of unsafe and potentially dangerous vehicles from our highways.

In addition, Superintendent Ron Taverner will be presenting a cheque to members of Peel Regional Police, for James Ochakovsky's family.

For further information, please contact Sergeant Jason Leitch at 416−808−2300.

Hands on the wheel, eyes on the road. It's the law!

I have always loved the 'rants' that Rick Mercer has done. Informative, provocative, funny and on the mark with sometimes brutal honesty.

This video is no exception.

Thanks to Rick Mercer and the Ministry of Transportation for doing this.

You can follow Rick Mercer on Twitter @rickmercer His website is www.rickmercer.com

For more information on distracted driving, click here.

Now it's your turn...what do you think? Why do people feel the need to talk, text, type or read while driving? Is eating, drinking a beverage or talking to someone else in the car just as much of a distraction? Let me know your thoughts.