Ottawa police launch spring road safety campaign

Ottawa city police are cracking down on people in vehicles who fail to buckle up or use suitable restraints for their children.

Officers are conducting spot-checks throughout the city during the week of April 21 to 27.

Police will also stop more heavy vehicles for inspections during this period to ensure operators follow weight restrictions, have their loads properly secured and keep trucks mechanically safe.

In Ottawa over the past five years, 28 people — 79 per cent of them male — have been killed as a result of not wearing proper restraints, police said in a release. Another 63 people suffered life-threatening injuries and 353 were injured to a lesser degree.

In 2007, on Ottawa roads alone, 94 unsafe vehicles were involved in reportable collisions. Those collisions led to two deaths and 33 injuries, four of which were life-threatening. The causes of the collisions included defective brakes, wheels and suspension systems, as well as tire blowouts.