Attention bad drivers: Whitehorse police are coming for you
RCMP say they're stepping up efforts to enforce traffic rules at problem intersections
If you're one of those drivers who merely slows for a stop sign — better change your ways.
Police in Whitehorse say they're cracking down on drivers who take a casual approach to the rules at city intersections.
"It wouldn't be very hard to constantly be writing tickets, for failing to yield, driving too fast for the road conditions, and this sort of thing," said Yukon RCMP Insp. Keith MacKinnon.
He says police have already stepped up enforcement. Some problem intersections have police cars watching on either side. MacKinnon says there's also an unmarked cruiser making the rounds.
"We know the intersections that are worse than other ones in the city. So we'll target those, and we'll have the officers watching and radio-ing to the other police cars on each end and letting them know."
MacKinnon says common violations include failing to stop at crosswalks, or rolling through stop signs. Often, he says, people are also just driving too fast on slippery winter roads.
"Slow down. If you get home 30 seconds or 2 minutes later, big deal."
A lot of drivers are also reckless at stoplights, MacKinnon said.
"I think sometimes drivers will accelerate when they see the light turn yellow, instead of slowing down and stopping like they should," he said.
Billy Ilchuk can attest to that. Her job often has her walking from place to place downtown.
"People do run red lights all the time," she said.
"I'm very cautious when I step onto the street ... pedestrians have to be very cautious as to what they're doing, because I don't think the cops can catch everybody."
With files from Meagan Deuling and Mike Rudyk