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3 =a Ng vA vey e- "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2000 - § Cops crack down on North Durham drivers And they're appealing to residents in Uxbridge and Scugog f By Rik Davie Weekend Star Const. Dennis Glazier is an expert in intelligence gather- ing and covert police tactics. In his 20-year career with the Durham Regional Police, he has gone against some of the most notorious crooks and killers in the service's history. ..And now, he's watching you. Const. Glazier is the new Traffic Safety Co-ordinator for the 26 Division policing area, and he has orders from newly- arrived Inspector Bill Temple to crack down on aggressive, dangerous and speeding drivers. North Durham roads have been the scene of 564 motor vehicle collisions in the first six months of 2000. Of these inci- dents, 180 have resulted in personal injuries. Fatalities have included a six-month-old baby. The officers of 26 Division want the carnage to stop. One of the first signs of the year-round crack down in north Durham - where seven people have been killed in the past three weeks, some in alcohol-related crashes - was the appearance recently of a four-way stop at Reach St. and Old Simcoe Rd. in Port Perry, near 26 Division Headquarters. "I was aware that the intersection had a high number of accidents related to it," said Const. Glazier. "I did a history of the intersection to see how many and what types of acci- dents had occurred there. We did traffic counts and set up radar at the site to get an idea of average speeds through it." After compiling the statistics, the situation appeared clear to Const. Glazier: "You have several options for bad intersections, starting with increased enforcement and going all the way up to installing traffic lights," he said. "In this case, we took our figures to the Region of Durham, who have the final say in such things, and made a case for a four-way-stop at the intersection." The intersection now sports four stop signs, accidents are way down, and Const. Glazier's moving on to the next trou- ble stop. "We depend .on the public in some cases," said Const. Glazier. "Calls from the public alert us to areas where exces- sive speed through residential or school areas is causing a hazard that we may not see on regular patrols. This helps us identify these spots and target them for increased enforce- ment." Traffic patrol is part of the job for Const. Glazier. Last Thursday, The Weekend Star spent the morning with him and Const. Deanna Hollister at the intersection of Simcoe St. North and the new residential road, Greenway St., just south of Port Perry. It is a 50 km/h speed zone. It didn't take long. Using a laser-guided speed gun, the two officers wrote 35 tickets in just over two hours. There appeared to be little in the way of a pattem to the type of vehicle or driver being ticketed, but speeds that averaged 20 or more km an hour over the posted speed limit. One driver was also ticketed for having no insurance, and another cited for unpaid tickets, and driving with a sus- «3 ON a » safety coordinator in 26 Division, it's his job.to pursue aggressive drivers in North Durham. pended license. oii Is there a profile of the speeding-dviver? ~~ Const. Glazier refused to be pinned down to a specific type, but the answer from several veteran speed trap offi- cers was a surprising and consistent one: Women aged 25 to 45 are the top offenders, followed closely by females aged 16 to 20. But Const. Glazier did say that the stereotype of the motorist arguing over tickets with a traffic cop is unfounded. "Most people admit to not watching the speed signs and take the ticket quietly," he said. "For most of them I think it's a wake-up call that they remember." One stop was surprising and somewhat disturbing to the veteran officer. The speed gun gives no quarter, and we had been at the site a short time when the familiar profile of a Scugog Transit school bus sped over the hill. After registering a speed nearly 20 km/h over the posted Have you checked your Insurance ately? gL LL FRE -800-4647746¢ _.. t HOCAEO5:357-3916 REPRESENTING: FARMERS' MUTUAL INSURANCE Co. (LINDSAY) Farm-Home-Auto-Commercial-Watercraft-Cottages 29th Uxbridge-Scott Historical Society STEAM THRESHING * DAYS % AT THE UXBRIDGE-SCOTT MUSEUM GROUNDS One mile west of Uxbridge, 1/4 mile north August 26 & 27 + 10am - Spm ANTIQUE CARS & TRUCKS Steam, Gas and Oil Engines PIONEER - Artifacts & Machinery - Arts & Crafts - Displays & Demonstrations CIDER MILL IN OPERATION | pox Museum Musical Entertainment & Dancing Uxbridge REFRESHMENTS. AVAILABLE (905) 852-5854 FREE PARKING - Steam Show Chairman: Francis Hockley (905) 852-7313 Admission - $5.00 Children FREE (if accompanied by adult) or help getting the job done area, Const. Glazier stopped the bus, which contained a male driver and a young passenger. Within view of a "Watch for Children" sign, the officer discovered that the license sticker on the bus was expired, and the bus was apparently being taken in for an emissions test. Even bus drivers get tickets during this crackdown. "That one disturbs me because they (bus drivers) are always contacting us to inform us of dangerous driving habits by motorists around the school buses," said Const. Glazier. He said that contrary to what you might think, police appreciate the public informing them of dangerous drivers. "Call us when you see problems," said Const. Glazier. "We will respond with increased presence, and do whatever it takes to solve traffic safety issues." As for drunk drivers, Const. Glazier said he is not sure what the answer is. "We need more manpower, for sure," he said. "But that's not the whole answer; public awareness is important and the penalties available under the law need to be used against these drivers. "The public, particularly with cell phones, are more empowered than ever to stop dangerous drivers," said Const. Glazier. "The police have and will always do all they can to catch these drivers with the help of the public. People need to remember that we have a vested interest in it; our families drive the roads, too." In the meantime, slow down and drive smart. According to Insp. Bill Temple: "This is not a blitz. Catching unsafe dri- vers is for full-time business." SION REPORT ETE Ms PCA STI Thereis a strong correlation between vision and reading - approximately 1in 6 kids has a vision problem which impairs their ability to read. Kids with vision problems may be extra clumsy, have shorter attention spans and poor concentration skills leading to frustration, behaviour problems - even ADD and poor grades. Last spring Dr. Workman voluntarily performed: vision screenings of 200 Kindergarten kids; approximately 30% did not pass. Vision is not fully developed until age 7; therefore, if a lazy eye is not caught and treated early, the brain may shut the weak eye off - permanently. This type of problem is often undetectable to a parent or teacher, and is only discovered during thorough testing by the eye doctor. Dr. Workman routinely provides eye examinations for kids using picture charts and puppets. They DON'T need to know the alphabet. A parent should accompany their child Dr. in the exam room to provide the medical history and make the child feel comfortable. In the waiting room a "kid pit" with toys and videos entertains rowdy siblings. A large selection of durable kids frames - Adidas, Mickey Mouse, Flexon, Hilfiger, Hush Puppy and $26 Superflex - to name a few, are available with breakage warranties. If your child knows they look good in glasses they will like wearing them. Annual eye examinations for -children as young as 3 years old are recommended. Children with a family history of lazy eye are at. higher risk for vision problems and need to be seen earlier. A regular eye exam involves more than 20 diagnostic tests, even for. kids, and takes 26 minutes (according to an OHIP study); a screening involves only superficial execution of 6 tests and does not replace the eye exam. Your child's vision is crucial for their develop- ment - choose your eye doctor based on repu- tation and quality of care. Darryl Workman OPTOMETRIST