Police have Heads Up program for schools

June 20, 2013 · 0 Comments

Caledon OPP, in collaboration with Road Watch, have developed a new program aimed at educating students about the dangers of being distracted while walking near traffic.
In a recent Ministry of Transportation study, the Ontario Road Safety Annual Report (ORSAR) reported that 4,522 pedestrian injuries occurred. Also, the report indicated that 114 pedestrians were killed in Ontario traffic collisions. Of these, 598 were directly linked to pedestrian distraction.
The police pedestrian safety awareness program Heads Up was created to promote safety practices with the youth in the community. Members of Road Watch developed public awareness strategies and lesson plans to support the program. It endorses caution and reminds pedestrians that distraction can be fatal.
“It would be devastating to be driving properly and obeying the rules of the road only to have a pedestrian step into the path of your vehicle,” observed Inspector Rose DiMarco, detachment commander at Caledon OPP. “Along with educating drivers, we must share safety tips and report injury trends in relation to distracted pedestrians.”