Ottawa Police - STEP to focus on School Zone Safety, School Bus Safety and Cycling Safety during April

_ (press release) _ STEP to focus on School Zone Safety, School Bus Safety and Cycling Safety during April

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:     Monday, April 4, 2016

** Ottawa ** – The Gatineau Police Service and Ottawa Police Service’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) will focus on school zone safety, school bus safety and cycling safety during the month of April. ** _ School Zone Safety: _ ** Between 2010 and 2014, there were 890 collisions within school zones, on school days around bell time, resulting in 207 injuries. ** _ _ ** ** _ School Bus Safety: _ ** Between 2010 and 2014, there were 20 collisions at locations where school buses were stopped and had their stop arm extended.  There were 10 injuries resulting from these collisions. ** _ _ ** ** _ Cycling Safety: _ ** Between 2010 and 2014, there were 1541 collisions resulting in 1291 injuries and 16 fatalities. ** ** The Safer Roads Ottawa Program is a leading community partnership between Ottawa Fire Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Public Health and the Public Works Department committed to preventing or eliminating road deaths and serious injuries for all people in the City of Ottawa, through culture change, community engagement, and development of a sustainable safe transportation environment.

Also participating in the Safer Roads Ottawa Program are the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Sûreté du Québec, Department of National Defence’s Military Police and Gatineau Police Service to improve road safety for all residents of the national capital region.

Ottawa residents have identified traffic safety as a top priority. The Safer Roads Ottawa Program is committed to using available resources to make Ottawa roads safer for residents.