www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, November 21, 2014 | 6 Halton is one of the safest communities in Canada, but road safety remains an issue. Just look at the chaos created by the season's rst snowfalls this week. Halton Regional Police were not only out on the roads during the recent inclement weather, but are there all the time promoting safety. It's up to us to do our part. Local police have been working diligently to engage in various traf c safety and enforcement initiatives as part of their overall traf c strategy for the region. According to the service, the initiatives are in response to the public's indication in surveys that traf c safety is a primary concern of Halton residents. And with the arrival of early snow this week -- and the roadway mayhem that accompanied it -- no wonder. As drivers, pedestrians and citizens, we need to walk -- or drive -- the talk. Earlier this fall, police partnered with the OPP in the GTA in Operation Move Over. The two-day initiative focused on drivers who fail to move over for stopped emergency vehicles. Section 159 (2)(3) of the Highway Traf c Act requires drivers to slow down and proceed with caution when passing an emergency vehicle parked on the side of the highway with its lights activated. If the highway has more than one lane, the law requires the driver to move over and leave one lane between their vehicle and the parked emergency vehicle, if it can be done safely. Failure to do so can result in a ne of $400$2,000, plus three demerit points. During the campaign, of cers laid a total of 150 charges under Section 159 and issued 143 warnings. At Thanksgiving, Halton police engaged in Operation Impact. The nationally-coordinated project targeted aggressive driving and other serious traf c offences with the goal of reducing deaths and serious injuries on Canadian roadways. Halton of cers initiated several hundred traf c stops. Of those stops, 314 charges were laid under the Highway Traf c Act including speeding, distracted driving and careless driving. Police say 11 drivers were issued suspensions for blowing a "warn" on a roadside alcohol screening device; there were no impaired driving charges. Operation Safe Driver Week came next. Traf c services of cers joined the district response units of the four Halton municipalities to engage in Operation Safe Driver, a North America-wide campaign geared toward both commercial and private vehicle safety. During the week, activities were held across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico with the goal of increasing commercial vehicle and non-commercial vehicle traf c enforcement, safety belt enforcement, driver roadside inspections and driver regulatory compliance. Halton commercial vehicle inspectors are paying special attention to trucks carrying dangerous goods in and through the region. The OPP is launching its annual festive RIDE program (Nov. 24-Jan. 2, 2015) and Halton will soon follow suit. The campaign sees of cers patrol the roads, making spot checks to ensure drivers are not drinking and driving during the holiday season. No one wants road tragedy to mark the 2014 holiday season. We applaud police for their initiatives. We all have a role to play in making our roads safer for everyone. Hopefully, these police initiatives are helping drive home that message -- and drivers will put it into practice on our roads. Drive safely, please Editorial U N I T E D F O R "Connected to your Community" P E A C E 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 52 | Number 128 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN The YMCA of Oakville held a Yoga for Peace event at the Waterford Retirement Residence on Baronwood Drive. Seniors were all smiles as they watched children in YMCA child caretake try the yoga moves of an instructor from iGita Hot Yoga Studio, Spa and Boutique. Above, Sam Cabarcas, 3, jumps at the chance to participate. | photo by Justin Greaves Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS Dogs may miss letter carriers most of all In all the debate and discussion about the changeover to community mailboxes, no one has mentioned one of the populations most affected by this change: family dogs. I am the owner of one such dog, and I can attest to the importance of daily home delivery to her. The arrival of the mail each day is a major event in her life. She watches the front door from her perch on the upstairs landing until the arrival of the invading letter carrier, at which point she Letters to the Editor MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager rushes down the stairs and barks at top volume until the threat has passed. The rush of adrenalin can be felt throughout the house (and the noise throughout the neighbourhood, I have feared). While some residents may welcome the peace and quiet that will ensue from the end of home delivery, for dogs throughout the newly affected area, it will be a sad day, indeed. Wendy Jackson Burton, Oakville Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association As a breast cancer survivor and a former resident of Oakville, I want to both thank and congratulate the Iroquois Ridge High School team of Julia Farronato, Lauren Ratcliffe and Mackenzie Haas, the executives of The Pink Campaign. It was an honour to be asked to speak about my experience at their event at the high school on Oct. 21. It is a busy time of the year for all of us, so it was doubly satisfying to meet the many students and parents who turned out to make the event such a success. Students' work is a good sign for the future It is comforting to know the future is in such good hands. I just wanted to pass this along your way as they all worked so very hard to put this event together. I have reached out to my close contacts at Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) to share this news as well and posted via my Facebook page and Instagram. I would so love for these lovely girls to get some recognition within Oakville. Molly B. Scott, Toronto Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5040 Mainway, Burlington ON L7L 7G5 or via e-mail to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. 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