From October 11 to 14, the NT RCMP is joining other Canadian police forces to bring Operation Impact 2019 to the Northwest Territories.
Operation Impact is a national public awareness campaign aimed at making Canada’s roads the safest in the world. By promoting safe driving behaviours, The RCMP hopes to help prevent collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads.
The focus will be on behaviours that put drivers, passengers and other road users at risk: impaired driving due to alcohol, drugs or fatigue, as well as aggressive driving, distracted driving and lack of seat belt use.
“Your actions have impact”. This is the theme for this year’s campaign. It emphasizes the role each of us has to play to support traffic safety on the streets and highways in our community. Don’t let the impact of your choices be a collision on our roads, the RCMP says.
Motor vehicle collisions kill about 2,000 Canadians, seriously injure another 10,000 people and injure about 165,000 citizens in this country each year.
“This year our team will work hard to target dangerous driving behaviours,” Cpl Sam Munden, NCO i/c “G” Division Traffic Services said. “Impaired, distracted and aggressive driving incidents are preventable and not worth the risk. Our officers will also reinforce safety messages for all off-road vehicles users”
It is not a coincidence that the timing of this campaign takes place during this Thanksgiving long weekend. More people are traveling, making collisions more frequent. Here in the NWT, there have been 20 deaths and 309 persons injured over the last 5 years related to vehicle collisions, impaired operation and dangerous operation of a vehicle.
That is why our police service actively supports and participates in Operation Impact.
Operation Impact is organized by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), under the leadership of the CACP Traffic Safety Committee, in support of Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2025.
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