THUNDER BAY — A rural stretch of road leading to a golf course has caught the attention of the Thunder Bay Police Service after numerous residents have complained about vehicles travelling at excessive and dangerous speeds.
The Thunder Bay Police Service Traffic Unit set up an education blitz on the corner of Whitewater Road and the 25th Side Road following a traffic survey in the area that revealed concerning results.
A Blackcat Radar was set up on a long straight-stretch of Whitewater Road and King George’s Park between July 28 and Aug. 2. Whitewater Road is listed as a private road, but it is still subject to the Highway Traffic Act.
According to Const. Sal Carchidi with the Thunder Bay Police Service traffic unit, of all the vehicles observed, 45 per cent would have received speeding tickets.
“Concerning of that, 90 of those vehicles were in the stunt driving range, which is more than 40 kilometres per hour over the posted speed limit,” Carchidi said. “More concerning than that, 27 of those vehicles were travelling over 100 kilometres per hour, one as high as 141 kilometres per hour in this 50-kilometres per hour zone.”
Carchidi said setting up an awareness blitz is to serve as a reminder to residents in the area, anyone visiting the area, and patrons of the Whitewater Golf Course, to slow down.
“We will be conducting enforcement here. We will be seizing vehicles for anyone stunt driving,” he said.
Stunt driving is applied to anyone travelling 40 kilometres per hour or above a posted speed limit where the posted speed is 80 kilometres an hour or less, 50 kilometres per hour above the speed limit where posted speed limit is more than 80 kilometres an hour. Anyone charged with stunt driving will have their vehicle impounded on the spot for 14 days and an automatic 30-day licence suspension.
And if vehicle impoundment and licence suspension is not enough of a deterrent, Carchidi is reminding motorists that driving at excessive speed is extremely dangerous to all road users.
“When you have vehicles travelling more than three time the speed limit, at dangerous or borderline criminal speeds, it causes us concern because that’s when injuries happen that kill people,” he said.
The survey also found that it wasn’t just late night thrill seekers flooring the gas pedal on a lonely stretch of rural road. Speeding infractions were found at all times of day and in residential areas.
“A large majority of the stunt driver and excessive speeds, specifically the 141km/h was on this straight stretch [of Whitewater Road] at 9 a.m.,” Carchidi said. “We did have a number of vehicles in excess of 90km/h in the 50km/h S-bends off Highway 130. So that is concerning and you will see us throughout Whitewater on all roadways.”
Carchidi added that the traffic unit wanted to provide an awareness campaign in the area prior to handing out tickets and impounding vehicles to give the public an opportunity to slow down.
“We felt with the amount of public who utilize this area and may not be familiar with it, we wanted to ensure that people are aware,” he said.
“We want to take a very stern enforcement approach where we will be seizing vehicles of anyone travelling 40km/h or over. We want to ensure everyone has the best opportunity to come into compliance. We don’t want to write tickets we would rather have everyone slow down. That is out initial approach, but it will be followed by enforcement.”
The traffic blitz also came about because of complaints from the public. Carchidi said the traffic unit relies on public input to learn about new or ongoing areas that experience excessive speed or dangerous habits by motorists.
“Our unit specifically depends on the public. We are aware of problem areas in the city,” Carchidi said. “With the use of that Blackcat traffic recorder as well as public complainants, it really allows us to focus our attention to these areas of concern or maybe areas that may have been missed by our unit.”
