EXPRESS - LESS and slow down – lives depend on it.

On Friday, November 16, 2007 the Red Hill Valley Parkway is scheduled to open to motor vehicle traffic. The opening of the Red Hill Valley Parkway will give Hamiltonians a more direct route to get from one end of the City to the other in just over 5 minutes.

The Hamilton Police Service is taking this opportunity to educate and remind drivers that the posted speed limit is 90 Km/Hr and that velocitization is no defense.

Velocitization is the phenomenon that driver’s experience when driving at a high rate of speed for extended periods of time and the speed no longer feels as fast when they enter into a zone with a slower posted speed limit.

The Hamilton Police anticipate that driver’s will experience the phenomenon of velocitization after exiting 400 series highways. We are hoping, through awareness, driver’s will recognize the symptoms of velocitization and adjust their speed accordingly.

While motor vehicle collisions with personal injury are down by 14% when compared to 2006, unfortunately the total number of deaths as a result of speed and loss of control are up by 18% when compared to 2006.

As a Police Service we are attempting to address such increases through public awareness, education and enforcement. Research has clearly shown that the probability of being severely injured and/or killed is directly correlated to the speed of the vehicle. Reducing speed not only reduces the severity of injuries, IT SAVES LIVES….SLOW DOWN - LIVES DEPEND ON IT.

On November 6, Hamilton Police Division Three Patrol set up on the Lincoln Alexander Expressway eastbound at the Garth St. overpass.  Local media were on hand as officers educated drivers on the perils of speed.

We were positioned on the Lincoln Alexander Expressway eastbound at the Garth Street overpass. The media was present  (CHCH-Lesley Stewart) from noon until 1:00 PM. Approximately 10 vehicles were stopped for speeding, and informed of the campaign. The officers present were Constable's Phil PECKFORD, Fred COOPER, Randy CARTER and Staff Sergeant Randy GRAHAM.