Thunder Bay Police Traffic Enforcement Efforts Grab Distracted Drivers
THUNDER BAY – The James Street Bridge between Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation was the scene of a major effort by Thunder Bay Police. Officers, for the second time in a week were focused on the aging railway bridge.
108 charges were laid by Police Officers between 9:30EDT this morning and 2:30PMEDT this afternoon.
Police state that the number today surprised them after a well announced effort last week that yielded nearly forty charges
Thunder Bay Police along with the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railway Police teamed up once again to repeat the enforcement efforts that were initiated last week.
Police state “Once again, distracted drivers using hand held devices was the primary focus, but a wide variety of offences were also observed and addressed. Plain clothed officers called off violation after violation by radio to a dozen waiting uniformed officers a short distance away. Included in that number were recruits waiting to be sent to the Ontario Police College for basic training”.
One vehicle was towed from the scene. Fifteen cell phone /texting, fifty three seat belt and four speeding tickets were written. Three suspended drivers were detected. Officers estimated one vehicle to be exceeded sixty km/hr crossing the bridge. Five of the seat belt tickets involved children.
Thunder Bay Police said, “Some drivers were visibly upset with the actions, yet most others showed support”.
The James St swing bridge is an aging workhorse that is a critical piece of infrastructure for both the City of Thunder Bay and Canadian National Railway. That link is crucial for the conveyance of commercial traffic, and provides a faster access points for the residents of Fort William First Nation and Emergency Service providers.Every collision puts that structure at risk, and causes accessibility issues for sometimes weeks.
Distracted driving is a continuing challenge for the police. Heightened enforcement efforts will continue, especially as kids return back to school.
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