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NWT RCMP to launch road safety blitz over Thanksgiving long weekend

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NWT RCMP will be out in full force this Thanksgiving long weekend as part of a four-day road safety blitz aimed at preventing collisions and saving lives.

Dubbed “Operation Impact,” the campaign will focus on deterring impaired, distracted and aggressive driving, states a Thursday news release from the NWT RCMP.

Organized by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), and led by the CACP Traffic Safety Committee, the national awareness campaign will run from Oct. 11 to Oct. 14 – when roads and highways will be busy. With more people travelling, the risk of accidents increases.

That’s why police are reminding drivers – including those behind the wheel of off-road vehicles – to heed this year’s theme when hitting the road: “Your actions have impact.”

“It emphasizes the role each of us has to play to support traffic safety on the streets and highways in our community,” states Thursday’s release.

In Canada, motor vehicle accidents kill approximately 2,000 people a year, while seriously injuring 10,000 and injuring about 165,000 drivers, according to RCMP.

In the territory, twenty people have died and another 309 have been injured in motor vehicle collisions related to impaired and dangerous driving in the last five years.