ROAD WATCH Canada

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A Program Born in Sadness

On Mother's Day, May 9, 1993, a multi-vehicle collision occurred in Caledon, resulting in the tragic death of eight young people. This horrific taking of lives mobilized the community to action. From this concern a S.A.F.E. (Stop Automotive Fatalities Everywhere) committee was formed and the ROAD WATCH program of Awareness, Education and Enforcement of road safety was developed.

Initially there was a process available at the local police station for participants to report aggressive drivers, but it needed to be reinforced and marketed more effectively. It was agreed to give a name to the process, thereby encouraging citizens involvement and raising public awareness about the reporting system. More local ownership from the citizens would improve the reporting and it would become more widespread. So on January 18, 1995 ROAD WATCH was launched.

The ROAD WATCH program was advertised by the use of road signs, static window stickers and letterhead and information brochures. The logo was also put on all of the Town of Caledon Public Work vehicles and police cruisers. Some communities have the logo on all of their municipal vehicles, including fire trucks. This shows support and participation of the program and keeps it in the public eye.

The ROAD WATCH sign is a warning to drivers on our roads that local citizens will not tolerate aggressive driving. The strength in this program lies with citizen involvement, as driver habits and attitudes cannot be altered by traffic enforcement officers alone.

When successful, we will celebrate having made our roads safer for all. ROAD WATCH is successful when drivers take care to make responsible decisions behind the wheel and the community's stance on road safety is widely known and respected.

Drivers - must always stop for the bus! 9/15/2008
Did you know that you must stop for a school bus that has its lights flashing both ways? Whether on a city street, highway or country road, regardless of the speed limit and the number of lanes, motorists traveling in both directions must stop when approaching a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing. A flashing stop arm will swing out while passengers are boarding or leaving the bus. (the only exception: on highways separated by a median, traffic coming from the other direction is not required to stop) Once all passengers have boarded, the STOP arm will fold away. Do not start moving until the red lights have stopped flashing and the bus begins to move. Penalties for not stopping First Offence: $400 to $2000 and 6 demerit points Subsequent Offences: $1000 - $4000 and 6 demerit points Possibility of jail time up to 6 months.

ROAD WATCH 2010 Conference 9/5/2009
ROAD WATCH Whitby will host the 2010 ROAD WATCH Canada Conference in spring. Watch here for more details..

Road Watch Award - Richmond Hill ROAD WATCH 10/2/2009
July 13, 2009. Council and members of the Towns Road Watch Committee were formally recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) for their dedication and commitment to community safety with the 2008 Road Safety Achievement Award in the Volunteer category. The Road Safety Achievement Awards were established by the Ministry of Transportation to recognize the exceptional achievements and commitment to excellence of individuals, community groups and organizations in promoting road safety at the community level. The Town of Richmond Hill Road Watch Committee was recognized for their volunteer efforts in getting the message of the Road Watch Program out to the residents of Richmond Hill through their active participation at key community events in 2008. Since the program went online in July of 2008 we have received 1,619 Road Watch submissions.