(SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT.) - Ontario drivers must assume responsibility for what has become the most significant public safety issue facing the Province's police services, and a $9.1 billion burden to Ontario taxpayers - traffic collisions.
Julian Fantino, President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), and Chief of York Regional Police, says the police have made traffic enforcement one of their top priorities. But they can't do it alone.
"If the public is concerned about safety, then they have to take more responsibility," says Chief Fantino. "The police are held accountable, but we hold the public accountable. They clearly have control over the problem."
He calls the term "traffic accident" a misnomer. That's because 85% of collisions, according to Ontario's Ministry of Transportation, are attributable to driver error. Roadway design or environmental factors are behind 10% of crashes, and vehicle defects cause the other 5%.
The $9.1 billion cost of traffic crashes includes:
The most recent annual statistics from the Ministry of Transportation show more than 215,000 collisions across Ontario, resulting in almost 90,000 injuries and 1,000 deaths - one person is killed in a traffic crash every nine hours.
Dangerous driving, whether because the driver is impaired, unknowledgeable, aggressive or inconsiderate, is a "significant abuse of the public safety entitlement," says Chief Fantino.
Pointing to the number of traffic fatalities, Chief Fantino says if we had a similar number of murders there would be "an extraordinary outcry." Traffic collisions deserve the same kind of "outrage," he says, when you look at both the cost in human life and the social costs.
"It all takes a significant toll on society," says Chief Fantino.
With the high degree of driver error contributing to collisions, increased police enforcement can obviously have an impact on traffic safety. Specifically, speeding, failing to yield the right of way, and loss of control are the most common driver actions that lead to fatal and personal injuries crashes.
Yet while Ontario's police services are taking a proactive approach to traffic enforcement, Chief Fantino says every instrument must be used to combat illegal behaviour on the roads. He urges the judicial system to resolve traffic cases "with the same type of commitment," treating traffic transgressions as a serious public safety issue.
The OACP has also been a strong advocate of using enhanced technology such as red light cameras, a proposal which the provincial government has turned down. Chief Fantino says that going through a red light, regardless of whether a collision occurs, is akin to attempted murder.
"It's really no different than taking out a gun and missing someone," he says.
Without action, he says the Province's collision statistics stand to get worse. The population and number of registered vehicles are increasing each year, the roads are becoming more congested, and passenger cars are becoming smaller and less safe as commercial vehicles get larger and more powerful.
"We intend to be aggressive in turning things around," Chief Fantino says. "But we need the appropriate legislation and tools to enhance public safety on the roads. It doesn't have to cost a lot of resources. All it takes is a different attitude."
Chief Julian FANTINO
OACP President