110 drivers stopped in back to school crackdown
83 tickets handed out; breathalyzer for one
Although Niagara Regional Police say the majority of Niagara’s drivers obeyed traffic laws to protect children returning to class, 110 drivers didn’t — including one man charged with several violations.
Tuesday, police conducted their 18th annual back to school traffic safety and awareness day, coinciding with the first day of school for most students.
More than 50 senior officers and others joined uniformed officers as well as one CN Police officer to visit dozens of schools, focusing on the safety of crossing guards and students, while looking for speeding drivers and motorists who disobeyed stopped school buses.
Police stopped 110 motorists during the initiative, including a 41-year-old man from Fonthill, who police say had two children in the backseat who did not appear to be wearing seatbelts. At six and seven years old, the children should have been in car seats.
Police say his driver’s licence was suspended for unpaid fines, he had no insurance and he was using licence plates that were not registered for the vehicle.
Officers also detected alcohol on the man’s breath and a roadside screening device registered in the warning range, leading to a seven-day roadside suspension.
In total, police handed out 83 tickets, including 55 for speeding, 29 for other offences, five tickets for not wearing seatbelts, and three for distracted driving. Police also issued 55 warnings to drivers.