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Speedwatch tracks driver's bad habits

SpeedWatch volunteers hit the roads in the Alberni Valley to partner with the RCMP and ICBC in the Provincial High Risk Driving Campaign.

Last month, SpeedWatch volunteers hit the roads in the Alberni Valley to partner with the RCMP and ICBC in the Provincial High Risk Driving Campaign. The focus of the campaign is to make drivers more conscious of their speed and the increased risk of speed-related accidents.

The SpeedWatch program began in the Alberni Valley in 1994 as part of community policing. Some of the volunteers have been active since that time. This is a small but dedicated group of people who donate one or two mornings each week to make a difference in the city.

Their greatest reward, says co-ordinator Marg Chapman, “is the satisfaction of making things safer for all our kids, friends and neighbours.”

SpeedWatch teams usually set their equipment up in a school or playground zone, or near a high crash location.

The Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) has identified 13 locations in the Valley which are common crash sites, says Chapman, all of which are controlled either by a traffic light or stop sign.

“It is really interesting that crashes mainly happen where there is a traffic control device,” Chapman asked.

A training session with an ICBC liaison has been planned for Friday, June 15 at 9:30 a.m. Please pre-register with Chapman by calling 250-723-5392 or go to the RCMP detachment   and ask about volunteering opportunities.

editor@albernivalleynews.com