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• your window & door professionals • 341 Guelph St., Unit 3 Georgetown 905.873.0236 www.buy-wise.ca info@buy-wise.ca • awarded readers choice 20 times • Visit our showroom hairlounge.com 905877-6944 33 Mountainview Rd. North, Georgetown FIRST PAYMENT, IT'S ON US†$0 DOWNPAYMENT SECURITYDEPOSIT DUE AT DELIVERY$0 $0 $0 Thursday, November 14, 2013 Halton Hills' award-winning newspaper serving Acton & Georgetown 64 Pages 50 Cents (+HST) Visit us at www.theifp.ca INSIDE Troop talks Pan Am possibilities Pg. 31 Spotlight on Remembrance Day Pg. 13 Santa here Saturday 4-pg. Gift Guide section Win a bursary See Contests at www.theifp.ca Online at www.theifp.ca While crime may be on the decrease in Halton, police continue to struggle with safe- ty on local roads-- witness the 7,827 motor vehicle collisions in Halton in the last year. The number of collisions is actually down from 8,386 in 2011, but not enough to satisfy local officials or the public. Police said the 2012 collisions included 2,942 in Oakville, 2,798 in Burlington and 2,036 in Halton Hills and Milton-- with 51 others taking place on the region's borders. The accidents last year resulted in more than 1,000 injuries and 12 involved fatalities. The scene isn't that much better this year with 5,591 motor vehicle collisions reported, including five fatalities as of early this fall. Halton Police Traffic Services Sgt. Paul Davies recently spoke about some of the rea- sons these collisions happen-- and what po- lice are doing about it. Davies is careful not to characterize the collisions as accidents, stating an accident implies there was nothing the driver could have done to prevent it. This is simply not the case in the vast ma- jority of traffic collisions, he said. "Distracted driving is a huge issue," said Davies. "I am a citizen, as well, and I drive home from here to the north end of the region every day. Just coming to work, I could probably write a book of tickets for distracted driving just by observing my fellow motorists who are stopped beside me or driving beside me." Davies said on occasion he has had to veer onto the shoulder of Britannia Road to avoid a head-on collision with someone texting while driving. By DAVID LEA Metroland Media Group 7,827... and counting 'Complacent' drivers blamed for many collisions on Halton roads These are the scenes of some traffic collisions that have oc- curred in Halton Hills in the past year. Halton Police say there have been nearly 8,000 crashes on area roads since the start of 2012 and that distracted driving is a 'huge issue'. File photos See POLICE, pg. 3