Ottawa police are setting their sights on drivers who treat stop signs as a suggestion or refuse to buckle up during a month-long safety blitz.
The campaign kicks off tomorrow and runs to Halloween. Police aim to cut the number of deaths and injuries of motorists who flaunt vehicle safety laws. Between 2006 and 2010, 26 people died and more than 250 were injured in accidents where seatbelts weren't used, according to a police news release.
Police and public health nurses will be setting up spot checks on roads around the city to make sure travellers are wearing seatbelts and that child seats are properly installed.
Officers from the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program will also be keeping an eye out for drivers who ignore stop signs. Collisions at intersections with stop signs killed six people last year, police said.
Failing to buckle up is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 under the Highway Traffic Act. The penalty for missing a stop sign is $110.