Media Release

For Immediate Release

 

September 27, 2002

 

 

Road Watch Pilot Project to Target Road Safety at 5 Brampton Schools

 

 

Brampton, Ontario – Representatives from The Peel Regional Police, The Brampton Safe City Association, The Brampton Safety Council, and children and staff from Cherry Tree Public School announced a new Road Watch initiative that’s been launched in 5 Brampton elementary schools.  The initiative is part of a 4-month pilot project to determine if the consistent use of Road Watch Reporting Forms by teachers, parents and school area residents can be proven effective in reducing aggressive and dangerous driving around schools. 

 

“We’re thrilled to be involved with this project and are confident that it will prove to be an effective way for schools to participate in making their surrounding roads safer for the school community.” (Councillor Avtar Aujla, Brampton Safe City volunteer board member)  The Brampton Safety Council is one of the lead partners in the project along with Brampton Safe City and Peel Police, “When Brampton Safe City approached us about helping them to launch this initiative, we jumped at the opportunity.  As a group of committed community volunteers who want to ensure that our roads are safe for children, we’re always looking for new tools that we can add to help us in our efforts”. (Dian Gray, Brampton Safety Council)

 

The program has been initially launched in 5 local schools: Cherry Tree PS, Larkspur PS, St. Marguerite Bourgeois, Russell D Barber, and St. Joachim.  If successful, the goal is to expand the initiative to schools across Brampton in 2003.

 

Road Watch is a Peel Regional Police program, run in collaboration with community partners, that encourages people to report dangerous and aggressive drivers by completing and submitting a Road Watch reporting form to police.   Reported drivers receive a warning letter from police on their first offence, a personal visit and warning from police on their second offence, and potential criminal charges on a third offence.  To find out how your school can become a Road Watch School Safety Program participant, please contact Paul Damaso at the Brampton Safe City Association at

(905) 793-5484.

 

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For more information:

 

Please contact Paul Damaso, Brampton Safe City Association

Phone: (905) 793-5484; Cell at (416) 526-5419