Over the years, living in Newmarket, I witnessed and been a victim of lots of traffic accidents, pedestrians being hit, and too many close calls due to distracted driving. I have taken it upon myself the town leader in this area; and with the help of other concerned citizens to work on this problem. Numerous attempts to educate the public on the dangers of distracted and inattentive driving have been made, but with little or no success. Even increased fines have not stopped anyone committing these offenses. Working with town, I credit the late Larry Blight for in getting my concerns along with Larry’s concerns and other town residents in getting council at the time (2010) when he was in Ward 4 to look at the town’s end for their responsibility. To that piont it was just a YRP problem.
With our ever-increasing population, concerned residents like me have started a public education program in an effort to promote the Town’s Traffic Management initiative, starting with “Please Slow Down” lawn signs in areas possessing the worst intersections and streets. Especially around schools and Davis Drive (wider crosswalks now). This came in 2013.
The safety of Newmarket residents is a common topic of discussion. However, all initiatives thus far have not been implemented with any meaningful concern. We continue to have drivers in our neighbourhoods disobeying the speed limit, stop signs, or the rules of the road in general, especially around schools and parking lots. We, as citizens of Newmarket, are all responsible for keeping our roads safe.
My plan over the years has been to reeducate those drivers who think it’s ok to talk on their phones, speed through intersections and generally think they are “rulers of the road” To reinforce positive driving habits and discourage negative habits like speeding and aggressive driving, three elements of Traffic Management need to be implemented – Education, Enforcement and Engineering.
According to the York Regional Police, up to 65% of all accidents occur within 3 kilometers of home. This highlights that it’s of crucial importance that residents play a role in traffic safety. I encourage you, as concerned residents of Newmarket, to actively participate in making our roads safer by reporting speeding and dangerous driving, either directly to me or to the York Regional Police Road Watch program. Road Watch reports are available online and at the Town of Newmarket Municipal Offices on Mulock Drive. You can also obtain more information on York Regional Police Safety programs by emailing me 905-830-0303 or visiting www.yrp.ca
Along with the Town of Newmarket, I have a number of traffic management initiatives aimed at instituting even tougher penalties in an effort to changing behaviour and creating a better understanding of the dangers associated with speeding and inattentive driving. Together we can save lives, maybe even yours!
Please contact me for more information or to request a “Please slow down” lawn sign.
Thank you!
Ian Johnston - Community Driven Leader for 50 years 