The Canadian Champion, Wednesday, August 27, 2008 - A15 Own up to your Aggressive driving and road rage have certain- ly made headlines of late. We drivers have all seen them - speeding, passing unsafely, tailgating, running the lights and of course the universal hand gestures so frequent- ly employed by the aggressive driver. Ha/ton officers have investigated many inci- dents of aggressive driving that all too often result in collisions, assaults and a general endangerment of others. A Milton officer recently drove up to a traffic light ta see one driver exiting his vehicle with a baseball bat to confront another. Fortunately, the officer made an arrest before violence ensued (and charges of assault with a weapon followed). Why, you ask? He thought the other driver "cut him off," an explanation I'm sure his wife found lacking when she had to come pick him up from the police station. Our roadways are shared by all, and drivers do have varying skill levels. If a mistake is made, perhaps a "sorry" would help; if someone does something courteous a sim- ple "thank you" goes a long way. No driving issue is worth getting sa angry and upset that lives need to be placed in danger. Yes, it might take a little longer to get to work, but at least you will arrive in one piece. What do I do if I encounter an aggressive driv- er? We are all responsible for ensuring the safety of our roads. Like the drunk driver, "road ragers" need to be reported to police (Halton Police non- emergency line at 905-878-5511). Try to provide the plate number of the vehicle, a description of Install Smoke lt's The Law. the driver and as much detail as possible about the driving incident observed. If you want to report the person in anonymity, call Haltons Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). If you're witnessing a road rage incident in progress, call 9-1-1 immediately What happens when I report it? If the incident is relatively minor in nature, the offending driver could receive a warning letter from our Road Watch Program (www.road- watch.ca). If they have already received prior warning letters, they can expect a personal visit from an officer. If a criminal offence has occurred, it will be investigated with the same tenacity as any other. If charges can be supported, they will be laid. Driving in Ontario is a privilege, not a right. Aggressive drivers put us all at risk and don't deserve to continue to enjoy the freedom of shar- ing our roads. They need to be held accountable for their actions - report them. Sgt. Derek Davis is the supervisor of the 1 District Response Unit, focusing on traffic enforcement with- in the communities of Milton and Halton Hills. Effective September 1 st, 2008, the Halton Regional Police Service will be implementing changes to the procedure used by organizations wishing to hire off-duty officers for their events ("Pay Duty Officers"). It is hoped that this new, streamlined procedure will simplify the application process for our customers. The changes are as follows: 1. Applications and payment will be accepted at any Halton Regional Police Service station. 2. Requests for Pay Duties must be made a minimum of seven (7) days in advance of an event. There will be exceptions made for special circumstances. 3. Ali Pay Duty requests in the Region of Halton must be prepaid at the time the requests are made. Acceptable payment forms include cheque, debit card and/or credit card. If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact: Ms. Molly Kaye, Pay Duty Clerk Halton Regional Police Service 905-825-4747 ext. 5404 Progress Through Participation The Medical offices of Dr. G. Maley, Dr. K. Chuncg and The Prime Care Family Health Team will be CLOSED Friday August 22nd and REOPENING on Tuesday Sept 2nd at our new location. We want to thank you for your patience and cooperation as we make this exciting transition to Our new location at 470 Bronte St. S. #110 Milton ON Ail BusinessOffice Contact Numbers will stay the same: Dr. Maley 878.0539 Or visit our website for more news Dr. Chung 878.3025 www.primecarefht.ca 905.878.1720 driving mistakes m rime Care Family