Police issued more than 100 tickets to motorists during a weekend traffic safety blitz on a stretch of Dawson Road.
Between June 18 and June 20, members from the Thunder Bay Police Service’s Traffic Unit conducted the traffic enforcement on Dawson Road, focusing mainly on the stretch from East Avenue to Paquette Road.
Motorists should be reminded that this is a 50 km/h zone, from Hwy 11/17 to Paquette Road. Over this three- day period, officers issued 105 Provincial Offence Notices for Highway Traffic Act Violations, mainly relating to speed.
In addition officers issued 12 Provincial Offence Notices for "fail to slow down and proceed with caution for emergency vehicle.”
Motorists are reminded that when approaching an emergency vehicle or tow truck with emergency lights activated, drivers must slow down and proceed with caution.
Where there are two lanes of traffic, if an emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped, drivers must slow down, proceed with caution and move to the outside lane if the movement can be made in safety.
There were two instances were officers were passed while on the roadway outside of their vehicles by vehicles traveling well over the speed limit. One such driver was travelling 88 km/h in the posted 50 km/h zone and another driver was driving 76 km/h, as they passed the officer.
The offence of "fail to slow down and proceed with caution for emergency vehicle" carries a fine of $490 with 3 demerit points.
Please see appropriate section of the Highway Traffic Act below:
Approaching, following emergency vehicles
Stop on approach of vehicle with flashing lights or bell or siren sounding
159 (1) The driver of a vehicle, upon the approach of a police department vehicle with its bell or siren sounding or with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light or red and blue light, or upon the approach of an ambulance, fire department vehicle or public utility emergency vehicle with its bell or siren sounding or its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light, shall immediately bring such vehicle to a standstill,
(a) as near as is practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway and parallel therewith and clear of any intersection;
or
(b) when on a roadway having more than two lanes for traffic and designated for the use of one-way traffic, as near as is practicable to the nearest curb or edge of the roadway and parallel therewith and clear of any intersection. 2009, c. 5, s. 49.
Slow down on approaching stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck
(2) Upon approaching an emergency vehicle with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light or red and blue light or a tow truck with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of amber light that is stopped on a highway, the driver of a vehicle travelling on the same side of the highway shall slow down and proceed with caution, having due regard for traffic on and the conditions of the highway and the weather, to ensure that the driver does not collide with the emergency vehicle or tow truck or endanger any person outside of the emergency vehicle or tow truck. 2015, c. 14, s. 47.
Same
(3) Upon approaching an emergency vehicle with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light or red and blue light or a tow truck with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of amber light that is stopped on a highway with two or more lanes of traffic on the same side of the highway as the side on which the emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped, the driver of a vehicle travelling in the same lane that the emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped in or in a lane that is adjacent to the emergency vehicle or tow truck, in addition to slowing down and proceeding with caution as required by subsection (2), shall move into another lane if the movement can be made safely. 2015, c. 14, s. 47.