CALLANDER – New road signs could be popping up in Chisholm, Powassan, East Ferris, Bonfield and Nipissing if councils in those municipalities buy-in to a new drinking and driving awareness program.
Nipissing mayor Wendy Billingsley introduced the program, called Operation Lookout, during the March 19 meeting of the Nipissing South East Municipal Action Group (NSEMag).
“The program was recently announced in North Bay, and we’re now looking for ways to implement it in the surrounding municipalities,” said Billingsley who works with the North Bay Focus, an organization dedicated to preventing problems, including injuries and chronic diseases, associated with alcohol and other drug use.
Operation Lookout is a Canada-wide, year-round public awareness program that encourages the public and businesses to call police if they see an impaired driver. All of the mayors in attendance will be taking the information back to their councils for approval to participate.
“In North Bay we put up 28 street signs encouraging people who suspect that someone is driving drunk, to call either the North Bay Police or 911. The program has the full support of the OPP which patrols most of the municipalities outside of North Bay,” said Billingsley. “All signage is free of charge and if our councils approve them we can order them collectively and organize a collective launch of the program.”
Each municipality would be required to set up its own Operation Lookout working committee “and the road superintendent is the key person in helping determine the best placement of the signs for maximum traffic impact,” she said. “The only cost to the municipalities is having our public works staff put the signs up.”
In addition to road signs, the working committee would also ensure that information posters are placed in community centres, coffee shops, gas stations and other places where they can be visibly seen. The information displayed on these posters provide the public with simple instructions on what to do if you see an impaired driver, call 911.
People who have car cell phones can best respond by reporting the suspected impaired driver as they follow behind the car, giving police detailed location information.
“The program provides a strong deterrent to those who would normally drink and drive,” said Billingsley. “More than just the police are looking for impaired drivers. By participating in this program, we’re making the roads safer not just for our residents, but for everyone.”
Operation Lookout is sponsored by the Ontario Community Council on Impaired Driving (OCCID) which began the program in 1992 in co-operation with Peel Regional Police. “Thanks to support from police, public health and community groups, Operation Lookout, was running in almost 50 communities by the end of last the summer,” said Mary Purnell, OCCID vice-president.
“Studies have shown that the greatest deterrent to drinking and driving is the risk of being caught, as opposed to the possibility of causing an accident,” said Billingsley. “Operation Lookout creates a partnership among the public, businesses and the police.”
The NSEMag mayors are hoping to bring commitments from their respective councils back to the group’s April meeting, which could mean the program could be up and running by the start of the summer driving season.
“From the time we formed the working committee in North Bay to the day we launched the program was only two months,” Billingsley said. “It’s a really quick turnaround time. As a group, NSEMag hasn’t jumped on any incentives to raise awareness of who we are and what we’re doing, and I feel this is a worthwhile project to launch jointly.”
Although two years of statistics are required in order to judge the success of Operation Lookout in the community, Billingsley said North Bay Police reported a significant increase in the number of calls coming in immediately follow the signs having been put up around the city.
“Drunk, drugged and fatigued drivers put us all at risk on our roads,” says Purnell. “Operation Lookout has been recognized by Health Canada as a valuable program to deal with repeat offenders, and police services running the program have seen four-fold increases in the number of calls, saving lives on our roads.”
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