By Katie Strachan
The Oshawa Express
Just weeks after the lives of
two young men were cut short
because of what Toronto police
are calling ‘street racing,’ the
Durham Region Health
Department has released a new
public service announcement
(PSA) in the hopes it will prev ent
a tragedy like this from
happening on the streets of
Durham.
The video titled, “Take it to
the Track,” was created in conjunction
with the Durham
Youth Road Safety Coalition
and Durham
Regional Police
Services (DRPS)
is an attempt to
reinforce the message
that if you
race, the street is
not the place to do it.“ S t a t i s t i c s
show that road
crashes remain
the leading cause
of death and
injury for young
drivers,” says
Janet Vendrig, a public health
nurse with the Durham Region
Health epartment.
In fact, one person is killed
everyday in collisions involving
speeding and loss of control.
More than one-third of
teen driver deaths involve
speeding, states a 2006 report
from the Traffic Injury
Research Foundation, which is
Canada’s road safety research
institute.
The video features a number
of young drivers who are racing
on a track.
Unfortunately the racers take to the street to continue
racing and the video ultimately
ends in a horrific crash where
lives are lost.
Participants in the PSA are
all Durham Region residents,
including local teen Massimo
Narini.
Along with his brother and
father, Narini has been involved
in organized racing for more
than 10 years. The trio promotes
road safety messages by
visiting schools and community
groups often.“Our message is know the
risks, know your limits, respect
the law and other road users,
and assume responsibility for
the safety of others in your
vehicle,” he says.“There are many associations
that sanction legal amateur
racing where individuals can
drive their vehicles to the
limit without endangering others.”
Even if racers are lucky
enough not to
crash, the consequences
of being
caught by police
are harsh.“Drivers who
engage in racing,
stunt driving and
driving 50 kilometres
over the
speed limit will
face tough penalties,”
explains
DRPS constable
Esther Rathwell.
“If caught,
police will suspend your
license and impound your vehicle
at the roadside.”
The PSA was first shown at
the Project ERASE (Eliminate
Racing Activities on Streets
Everywhere) kick-off back in
April.
The campaign is about raising
awareness and enforcing
the negative outcomes of street
racing.
It is administered by 21
police services across the
province, including Durham,
and aims at combating not only
street racing but high-risk driving
behaviour as well.
The video, which was funded
by the Ontario Trillium
Foundation, Laidlaw
Foundation, the Ontario
Ministry of Transportation and
SunTv, will continue to be distributed
throughout the region.
To view the PSA visit
www.durham.ca, www.drps.ca
or www.mto.gov.on.ca
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