SUPT. Scott Baptist is targeting speeding and aggressive drivers with tickets in ‘Speed Kills’ from April 11 to 17. Police photo.
Toronto Police have kicked off a ‘Speed Kills’ traffic safety campaign that will see officers from across the city stop issuing warnings, but give tickets instead for motorists to slow down.
“Speed Kills is a zero tolerance campaign,” said Supt. Scott Baptist, of the force’s Traffic Services. “There will be no warnings and officers will be issuing tickets.”
Baptist said the safety campaign will run from April 11 to April 17 and involve officers from all divisions.
SUPT. BAPTIST and Mayor John Tory say speeders are a concern. Courtesy photo.
“The campaign is aimed at slowing drivers down through enforcement,” Baptist said. “Our message is quite simple in that ‘speed kills.”
He said 85 per cent of those charged for speeding are young males.
A media conference was held in the parking lot of the Royal Canadian Legion, at 1395 Lake Shore Blvd. W., a few kilometres east of last month’s fatal crash in Mimico in which three people were killed by a motorist who was banned from driving anywhere in Canada.
The March 31 crash involved a speeding Cadillac SUV that ran a red light at Lake Shore Blvd. W. and Superior Avenue killing mom Kelly Hamilton, 43, and Ken Arkwell, 75, who loved life.
The vehicle’s driver Omar Downey, 36, also died in the crash.
The violent crash shook the Mimico community, where the two long-time residents were well-known.
More than $26,000 have been raised in a Go Fund Me campaign to help with the funeral service of Hamilton and to raise her children.