Bad drivers can count on police scrutiny this spring.
Police throughout Greater Victoria are increasing enforcement against “high-risk” driving habits such as tailgating, failure to yield and running red lights. The region’s Integrated Road Safety Unit said such behaviour causes the majority of collisions at intersections.
Motorists should expect to see more pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists as the weather improves, police said in a statement. Attention to motorcyclists is important because they are eight times more likely than other road-users be killed in a crash and 41 per cent more likely to be injured.
Statistics show that 1,230 Island crashes each year are related to high-risk driving, with half of those occurring at intersections. Overall, Vancouver Island collisions account for 10,000 injuries each year.
“Put down your cellphone and ease off the gas,” said Cpl. Ryan Bacica. “Aggressive driving on the road is not worth the extra few seconds you might save on your trip."