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12 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, December 30, 2010 Your Halton Connection www.halton.ca January 2011 Drive SAFE this winter by Regional Chair Gary Carr With the winter weather here, it's important that we work together to ensure safe driving this winter season. Safe driving starts before we get behind the wheel, through proper vehicle maintenance and planning for an alternate ride home if you may have had a few drinks. Working together, we can all ensure we have a safe winter on Halton's roads. Preparing for winter driving The three key elements of safe winter driving are to stay alert, slow down, and stay in control. Always drive according to weather conditions, and be sure to keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to avoid situations where you may have to brake suddenly on a slippery surface. Halton's Drive SAFE website has winter driving tips at www.halton.ca/winterdriving to remind you of how to stay safe on our roads this winter. Since winter driving can be especially challenging, it's imperative that your full attention is on the road and both hands are on the wheel. As challenging as it can be, we need to make sure that our Blackberries, iPhones, cell phones and all our other gadgets are put away during the drive so we can focus on the road ahead. Winter Safety Checklist Clear snow and ice DPMK ?JJ UGLBMUQ JGEFRQ KGPPMPQ ?LB PMMD +?IC QSPC WMS F?TC plenty of windshield washer ÇTid ?LB RF?R GR GQ P?RCB RM Ìo! oP JoUCP Plan yoTr roTte ?FC?B oD RGKC *CR QoKCoLC ILoU oD WoSP BCQRGL?RGoL ?LB CVNCARCB RGKC oD ?PPGT?J Wear comfortable clothing RF?R BoCQLhR PCQRPGAR WoSP KoTCKCLR UFGJC ?R RFC UFCCJ &?TC U?PK AJoRFGLE GL A?QC WoS LCCB Ro ECR oSR oD WoSP TCFGAJC Always keep the gas tank at least half fTll PGLE ? map ?LB @C NPCN?PCB Ro R?IC ?L ?JRCPL?RGTC PoSRC Working together to stop impaired driving Halton has a reputation as Canada's safest region and this is due in large part to the vested interest residents have in ensuring one another's well-being. As part of Halton Region's ongoing partnership with the Halton Regional Police Service and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.), Halton has the Safe Roads...Your Call program to educate motorists about the dangers of drinking and driving. This program encourages motorists to help police by calling 9-1-1 immediately when they witness a suspected impaired driver on Halton roads. Once 9-1-1 operators receive a call from the public through the Safe Roads...Your Call program, it is assigned high priority and all available police resources are used to locate the suspected vehicle. Motorists reporting a suspected impaired driver in progress should have a description of the vehicle, the nearest intersection where the suspect was witnessed and direction the vehicle was headed, and if possible, a license plate number. We want everyone to stay safe on our roads, so motorists should not jeopardize their own safety, or that of other motorists in order to provide police with any of these details ­ only report what you can safely observe. Impaired driving is a crime in progress and as the extra eyes of police on Halton roadways, residents play an instrumental role in enhancing road safety and assisting police in their efforts to stop impaired driving on our roads. Road Safety Action Plan Halton Region isn't just thinking about road safety during the winter ­ we have also created the Road Safety Action Plan to improve safety on Regional Roads. The Road Safety Action Plan uses three equal approaches - engineering, education and enforcement. Engineering: Every year, Halton's Transportation Services department reviews Regional intersections and road segments to identify areas where potential safety improvements could be made. Based on safety assessments, areas for improvement are identified and recommended changes are made to Regional Council. To ensure the highest level of safety on Regional roads, Halton carries out road safety audits for new roadway designs, as well as for major road improvement projects. Education: To educate the public about road safety, the Drive SAFE campaign was created. Enforcement: The Halton Regional Police Service is out in the community enforcing the speed limits in high-speed locations and Community Safety Zones, as well as monitoring drivers on all roads, to help ensure Halton's roads stay safe. To find out more about road safety within Halton, dial 311 or visit www.halton.ca/transportation. Bring a cell phone in case of emergencies and only Tse it when safely pTlled over and parked at the side of the road 3QC ? K?RAFGLE QCR oD all-season or snow tires +eave enoTgh space between cars l ? ESGBC Ro Q?DC QN?AGLE SLBCP LoPK?J BPGTGLE AoLBGRGoLQ GQ RFC RUoÌQCAoLB PSJC JC?TGLE RUo QCAoLBQ oD BPGTGLE QN?AC @CRUCCL WoSP TCFGAJC ?LB RFC A?P GL DPoLR oD WoS 'L UGLRCP ?LB CQNCAG?JJW BSPGLE NooP UC?RFCP AoLBGRGoLQ BoS@JC RFC RUoÌQCAoLB PSJC Halton Region Meeting Schedule Jan. 11, 9:30 a.m. &C?JRF 1MAG?J 1CPTGACQ !RC Jan. 12, 9:30 a.m. .J?LLGLE .S@JGA 5MPIQ !RC Jan. 13, 9:30 a.m. BKGLGQRP?RGML $GL?LAC !RC Jan. 24, 9:30 a.m. SBECR 0CTGCU Jan. 26, 9:30 a.m. 0CEGML?J !MSLAGJ +CCRGLEQ A?L @C TGCUCB ?R www.halton.ca. .JC?QC JCR SQ ILMU ?Q QMML ?Q NMQQG@JC GD WMS UGJJ F?TC ?L ?AACQQG@GJGRW MP ?AAMKKMB?RGML LCCB ?R ? &?JRML 0CEGML FMQRCB CTCLR MP KCCRGLE 2FGQ N?EC F?Q @CCL BML?RCB @W RFGQ LCUQN?NCP RM AMKKSLGA?RC GKNMPR?LR GLDMPK?RGML RM &?JRML PCQGBCLRQ ?R LM AMQR RM R?VN?WCPQ 2FCÏ0CEGML?JÏ+SLGAGN?JGRWÏMDÏ&?JRMLÏkÏÏ PMLRCÏ0B Ï-?ITGJJCÏ-LR?PGMÏ*+Ï* "G?JÏÏMPÏÌÌÏkÏ2MJJÏDPCCÏÌÌÌÏkÏ227ÏÌÌÏkÏUUU F?JRML A? 5CÏUCJAMKCÏWMSPÏDCCB@?AI Ï!MLR?ARÏAACQQÏ&?JRMLÏ?RÏ?AACQQF?JRMLF?JRML A?Ï