Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Association canadienne des chefs de police

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1 WHAT S IN THE KIT? Media Advisory Template To be used to invite the media to an event during Operation Impact. We suggest you reproduce this on your own police agency letterhead. News Release Template The release is a sample that is meant to be generic enough for any police agency to use. To be used to inform the media about Operation Impact and what, if anything, your agency is doing during the week. We suggest you reproduce this on your own police agency letterhead. Background Information Includes questions (and answers) that you may get asked about Operation Impact. Fact Sheet Facts about seat belt and child restraint use and impaired driving We suggest you provide a fact sheet with local statistics on intersection and speeding violations if desired. OTHER PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Operation Impact Posters These posters have been sent electronically to all police agencies in Canada for use as part of the campaign. Please post these posters in an area that is visible to your officers as well as members of the public or on your websites.

2 Media Advisory Template (reproduce on your agency's letterhead) <DATE> OPERATION IMPACT EVENT In recognition of Operation Impact, October 6-9, 2017, <NAME OF ORGANIZATION> invites the media to attend <DESCRIPTION OF EVENT>. This event will take place on <DATE>, at <TIME> at <LOCATION OF MEDIA EVENT>, with the participation of <NAME OF ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED>. < SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, WITH TITLES> will be in attendance. INCLUDE ANY SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS HERE. For further information, please contact <NAME>, <TITLE>, <PHONE NUMBER> < ADDRESS> NEWS RELEASE TEMPLATE (reproduce on your agency's letterhead) <DATE> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAVING LIVES DURING OPERATION IMPACT October 6-9, 2017 will mark Operation Impact, a national campaign to make Canada's roads the safest in the world. This special weekend is a police initiative designed to remind people that an essential part of the enforcement job is to save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways. Educating the public in safe driving practices is a priority. The focus will be on behaviours that put drivers, passengers and other road users most at risk: impaired driving, seat belt use, and all aspects related to aggressive and distracted driving. All enforcement agencies across the country have been invited to participate. "The deaths, pain and broken hearts that result from carelessness behind the wheel can be prevented," says <NAME OF YOUR AGENCY'S TOP PERSON>. Police agencies across the country are collaborating on this project because they have seen more than enough of that, and because they know that the involvement of the driving public is essential to achieve safer streets and highways." This initiative has been strategically chosen, as it is a significant long weekend. More people are traveling and traffic crashes are more frequent. Here in <COMMUNITY NAME>, there have been <NUMBER> deaths and <NUMBER> serious injuries over the last <NUMBER> years related to vehicle collisions. These are just numbers but they represent moms, dads, sisters, brothers, loved ones, co-workers, neighbours. It is unacceptable to <AGENCY NAME>. That is why, in support of Operation Impact, we are <DESCRIBE LOCAL PROJECT, IF APPLICABLE, OTHERWISE DELETE SENTENCE>.

3 Operation Impact is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and member agencies of the CACP Traffic Committee from across Canada in support of Canada s Road Safety Strategy 2025, which has a goal of making Canada's roads the safest in the world. "Dedicated to improving public safety on our roadways." For further information, please contact: <NAME>, <TITLE> <PHONE NUMBER> < ADDRESS> BACKGROUND INFORMATION What is Operation Impact? It is a special initiative to focus on safe driving practices, and is timed in conjunction with Canada s Thanksgiving holiday weekend, when the traveling public will be out in great numbers. The 2017 dates are October 6th to 9 th. It is a co-ordinated effort between police agencies across the country to work toward the goal of Road Safety Strategy 2025 Towards Zero of making Canada's roads the safest in the world. It is a time to remind drivers and passengers across Canada to consciously consider safety whenever they get behind the wheel. Buckle seat belts and ensure youngsters are properly restrained in vehicles according to their age and size. Refrain from drinking and driving. Pay attention to the road at all times and refrain from aggressive driving and distracted driving behaviour. Who was involved in co-ordinating this week? The project was developed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police as part of its focus on road safety. The participation of community partners and citizens across Canada is essential to achieve success. What issues are most important in Operation Impact? What issues are most important in Operation Impact? Don't drink and drive. Ever. Use seat belts and child restraints every time you travel in a car, no matter how short the trip. Pay attention at all times, refrain from the use of mobile hand held devices and/or aggressive or high risk driving behaviours which may lead to a collision. These issues are important every day of the year; not just during this special initiative.

4 What is Road Safety Strategy 2025? Road Safety Strategy (RSS) 2025 is Canada s fourth national road safety strategy. The purpose of the strategy is to continue our national effort in addressing important road safety issues in Canada by providing a framework for governments and other road safety stakeholders to establish their own road safety plans, objectives, and interventions to eliminate road crashes which result in serious injuries or fatalities. The vision for Road Safety Strategy 2025 is Towards Zero: Having the safest roads in the world. This towards zero approach is coupled with Canada s long standing goal of Having the safest roads in the world. It is based on an international best practice first adopted by Sweden in 1997, where Vision Zero was approved by their parliament and has permeated their approach to transportation ever since. This highly effective and innovative approach by Sweden has resulted in one of the lowest traffic-related fatality rates world-wide and its proven track record has resulted in other countries and municipal governments initiating similar approaches. The Towards Zero vision is not a target to be achieved by a certain date but rather it is aspirational in nature. This vision will continue beyond the RSS 2025 s timelines and highlights the desire for the best road safety outcomes for all Canadian jurisdictions, provincial, territorial or municipal by; Raising public awareness and commitment to road safety, Improving communication, cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders, Enhancing legislation and enforcement, Improving road safety information in support of research and evaluation, Improving the safety of vehicles and road infrastructure, and Leveraging technology and innovation. More information about Canada s Road Safety Strategy 2025 is available at What is the Operation Impact education campaign? Posters are sent out electronically to all police agencies across Canada. Please place posters prominently in your offices, where the public has access, and on your websites. Contact local media outlets to encourage them to cover this important campaign.

5 KEY MESSAGES FOR OPERATION IMPACT Operation Impact is an enforcement-driven initiative designed to increase public compliance with safe driving measures and ultimately, to save lives. The program involves enforcement that focuses on behaviours that put drivers, passengers and other road users most at risk: impaired driving, seat belt use, and all aspects related to aggressive and distracted driving. It is also an education campaign to address the importance of safe driver behaviour. The timing of Operation Impact at Thanksgiving weekend is strategic, as more people are traveling and traffic crashes are more frequent. This year, Operation Impact takes place from October 6-9, 2017 All enforcement agencies across the country are invited to participate. Police vehicles may be stationed at key locations to remind people that safe driving habits save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways. Participating law enforcement agencies gather statistics with a common template to allow valid comparisons and to track progress toward Canada s Road Safety Strategy Operation Impact is part of Canada s Road Safety Strategy 2025 Towards Zero which has a goal of making Canada s roads the safest in the world. Operation Impact is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and Transport Canada. Drivers and passengers across Canada are reminded to consciously consider safety whenever they get behind the wheel. Buckle seat belts and ensure youngsters are properly restrained in vehicles according to their age and size. Refrain from drinking and driving. Pay attention to the road at all times. Refrain from aggressive and distracted driving behaviour. Canada s Road Safety Strategy 2025 is a national effort to retain the long-term vision that Canada will have the safest roads in the world. Specific aims are raising public awareness and commitment to road safety, improving communication, cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders, enhancing legislation and enforcement, improving road safety information in support of research and evaluation, improving the safety of vehicles and road infrastructure and leveraging technology and innovation. More information about Canada's Road Safety Strategy 2025 is available at

6 FACT SHEET: THE IMPORTANCE OF SEAT BELT, CHILD CAR SEAT USE AND INTERSECTION SAFETY Did you know? Seat belts and child safety seats are the most cost effective means we have of reducing injuries and deaths from motor vehicle collisions. All provinces and territories have seat belt and child restraint laws. Police will be enforcing these laws. Lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal or serious injuries to front seat occupants of passenger vehicles by up to 50% and by up to up 65% for people riding in light trucks. 75% of people ejected from their vehicles die. Seat belts offer the best protection against ejection. The inside of a vehicle has what's called the engineered life space. It's specially designed to handle collisions and protect vehicle occupants. The seat belt will keep you inside that engineered life space. Most parents know that a child who weighs less than 18 kg (40 lbs.) must be properly secured in a child safety seat. In addition: A child who weighs less than 9 kg (20 lbs.) must be in a rear-facing child safety seat. A child weighing between 9 kg and 18 kg must be in a forward-facing child safety seat. Safety experts strongly recommend that you install a booster seat to replace a child safety seat when your child turns 6 or weighs more than 18 kg. Children under the age of 12 should be in the back seat. It's always the safest place for them, especially if your vehicle is equipped with a supplemental restraint system (SRS), otherwise known as airbags. Intersections are particularly dangerous for motorists. In 2006 almost 29% of victims fatally injured and 40% or those seriously injured sustained their injuries in intersection-related crashes. Excess or inappropriate speed was cited as a contributing factor for more than 27% of fatally injured road users and almost 19% of victims seriously injured during Aggressive drivers often engage in a combination of high-risk road use behaviours non-use of seat belts, drinking and driving and speeding. The results of these behaviours are often catastrophic for all involved road users. SOURCE OF STATISTICS : ALBERTA OCCUPANT RESTRAINT PROGRAM