Awareness Campaigns

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Stop sign intersection safety

Stop! Spare a moment. Spare a life.

Here are the facts on intersections

  • Nearly half of Ottawa’s traffic collisions occur at intersections.
  • Almost 60 percent of Ottawa traffic injuries occur at intersections.

Between 2004 and 2006, Ottawa’s intersections with stop signs accounted for:

  • Over 4,800 collisions
  • 1,638 injuries
  • 10 deaths

Prevention tips for intersections with stop signs

  • Obey all stop signs. No rolling stops – cyclists included.
  • Stop behind painted stop bars.
  • Never assume that it’s safe to proceed after stopping.
  • Before proceeding, make eye contact with other intersection users – including pedestrians.

Speed-reduction - Speeding Costs You

Speeding has taken its toll on Ottawa’s roads

Speeding is a form of aggressive driving – along with tailgating and red-light running. It is an epidemic on our roadways, and is a factor in nearly half of the traffic deaths in Ottawa.

In fact, between 2005 and 2007, speeding on Ottawa roads was a factor in:

  • 93 deaths
  • Almost 3,000 injuries
  • Nearly 9,000 collisions
  • three per cent of drivers charged in speed-related collisions during that period were male.
Audio: Intense music plays in the background throughout the video.
Visual: Speedometer of a car accelerating from 116 kilometres per hour to 117 kilometres per hour. Driver’s foot presses down on the gas pedal. The City of Ottawa logo is in the bottom right corner throughout the video.
Visual: Police officer is outdoors and is standing beside their parked motorcycle. Police officer is using a radar.
Text on screen: Speeding is the number one factor in collisions, fatalities and major injuries on Ottawa roads.
Visual: Police officer gets on their motorcycle, turns on the siren, and drives after a car.
Audio: Police siren and radio chatter.
Visual: The car is pulled over to the side of the road and the police officer’s motorcycle is parked behind the car. While standing beside their motorcycle, the police officer pulls out a ticket.
Visual: The police officer is now standing on the driver’s side of the car. The driver has their window rolled down and the police officer hands the driver the ticket.
Text on screen: It can cost you money, your license and your life.
Visual: Pictures of crashed cars are displayed.
Visual: The driver of the car that was speeding has their hands at the top of the steering wheel. As the police officer walks away, the driver lowers their head to rest against the back of his hands. The driver makes a face of disappointment.
Text on screen: Speeding is dead wrong.
Visual: Car drives across the road to reveal a message. A banner is on the bottom of the screen.
Text on the message on the road: Think safety, act safely.
Images on the banner: Safer Roads Ottawa, Towards Zero logo.
Description of Safer Roads Ottawa, Towards Zero logo: A cyclist, driver in a car, and two pedestrians. Each image has a circle around it.
Text on the banner: Safer Roads Ottawa, Towards Zero logo. Ottawa Police Service title and logo. ottawa.ca/roadsafety. City of Ottawa logo.
Visual: Scene fades to black.
Audio: Intense music fades out.
End of “Road Safety Action Plan – Speeding” transcript.

Things to remember when you are behind the wheel

  • Obey speed limits.
  • Drive according to conditions. Slow down in bad weather, heavy traffic, school/construction zones and high-risk deer-vehicle collision areas to allow greater reaction time.
  • Speeding does not save you travelling time. In fact, enforcement costs you money and time.
  • And the biggest speeding cost on the line: your or someone else’s life

Tell us your story

Speeding and other forms of aggressive driving were cited in the majority of the vehicular collisions on Ottawa roadways last year. In fact, 80 per cent of the collisions that resulted in a fatality were attributed to aggressive driving – resulting in driver error.

Numbers never tell the full story

But in terms of traffic safety, every statistic is more than just a number. It’s a life that touches so many other lives and no dollar value can ever be placed on it. Very often, collisions may make a headline for one day, but its scars on peoples’ lives last forever.

Teach others the importance of slowing down.

Tell us how speeding or a collision from speeding touched your life. It can be a first-hand account or an experience that touched a friend or loved one.

Give us a paragraph or two on the experience and how it impacted you or your life, and send it to sro@ottawa.ca

Submissions will be reviewed and a story will be selected for articles and features for the media. In addition, the person submitting the story has the option to be honorary chairperson of the upcoming “Speeding Costs You” public education campaign. Or you can have the campaign be commemorated to someone who lost his or her life in a traffic collision.

Personal information contained on this form is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, Chapter 25, subsection 10(1). This information is collected for the administration and management of the City of Ottawa's Integrated Road Safety Program’s speed reduction campaign and will be used only for the submission of story ideas. Selected individuals who have submitted stories will be contacted prior to using the information in awareness materials. Questions regarding the collection and use of this form should be directed to the Integrated Road Safety Program Coordinator, 100 Constellation, 613-580-2424, extension 28187.”

Be safe, be seen

Adapting our behaviour on our roads and pathways is just another part of changing seasons. To promote safe travels as the days get shorter, the annual Be Safe Be Seen campaign is back this October. 

Whether walking or rolling, wear lights or reflectors to make sure you are seen at night. Without reflective gear you may be practically invisible to other road users. 

Logo for Be Seen, Be Safe campaign with cyclist, runner, pedestrians and pets wearing appropriate illumination to be seen

Throughout October 2023, Ottawa Fire Services will be distributing reflective bands and flashing lights at select fire stations throughout Ottawa. Please note that even within times listed below, should all station personnel be responding to an emergency call, items will be unavailable. Thank you for your understanding. 

On October 4, 6, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30 from 4 to 6 pm, the following urban area stations will be open to pick-up the safety items: 

On October 4, 11, 16, 23 from 6 to 7 pm, the following rural area stations will be open to pick-up these safety items: 

 On October 4, 11, 18, 25 from 6 to 7 pm, the following rural area stations will be open to pick-up these safety items: 

Audio: The sound of cars driving on the road plays throughout the video.
Visual: Scene fades in from a black screen. A dark road with cars going both directions and a sidewalk at nighttime. The sidewalk is centered on the screen and the road of to the left of the sidewalk. Only the lights from the cars and streetlamps are visible on the road. Two pedestrians walk towards the screen with reflective patches on their clothing. The pedestrians have one reflective patch on the bottom of each pant leg and two reflective patches, one above the wrist and one above the elbow, on each arm. Only the two pedestrians with the reflective patches are visible on the sidewalk. The Ottawa Public Health logo is at the bottom right of the screen.
Text on screen: Imagine you are driving along this road at night . . .
Visual: Pedestrians continue walking towards the screen.
Text on screen: How many pedestrians do you see?
Visual: Only two pedestrians are visible on the sidewalk.
Visual: The pedestrians walk closer to the screen and two more pedestrians, who are not wearing reflective patches, become visible.
Text on screen: How many now?
Visual: The pedestrians are closer to the screen and a total of four pedestrians are now visible.
Visual: Scene change. A graphic is displayed on the screen.
Title of the graphic: Be safe, be seen.
Images on the graphic: From left to right, a cyclists, a runner, a person using a wheelchair, and a person walking their dog. The cyclist has reflective patches on their helmet, jacket, shoes, wheels and bag that is attached to the bike. The cyclists also has a light at the front of the bike. The runner has reflective patches on their jacket, pants and shoes. The person using a wheelchair has reflective patches on their arm, their shoes, and the wheels of the wheelchair. The person walking their dog has reflective patches on their dogs leash, jacket, backpack and shoes.
Text on the graphic: City of Ottawa logo. Safer Roads Ottawa, Towards Zero logo. Ottawa.ca, 3-1-1, TTY/ATS phone number 613-580-2401.
Description of Safer Roads Ottawa, Towards Zero logo: A cyclist, driver in a car, and two pedestrians. Each image has a circle around it.
Visual: Scene change. York Region logo.
Text on screen: York Region. Special Thanks to York Region.
End of “Be safe, be seen English version” transcript.

Wildlife / vehicle collision prevention

Speeding Costs You…Deerly

Ottawa has the most wildlife/vehicle collisions in Ontario.

Vast rural areas, combined with plenty of green space and wooded areas in urban centres, make Ottawa an ideal locale for the occurrence of vehicle/wildlife collisions. As well, the upsurge of the deer population in Ottawa and most of Ontario has compounded this situation.

In fact, 1,000 wildlife/vehicle collisions on Ottawa’s roadways are reported each year – more than any other area in Ontario.

The risk of wildlife crossing the path of vehicles exists throughout the year, but the risk is much greater in the fall – especially between dusk and dawn.

Wildlife/Vehicle Collision Prevention: be alert, reduce speed, stay in control

Be alert

  • Scan, side-to-side, the roadway and its shoulders
  • Use your high beams where possible
  • Look out for light reflection from an animal’s eyes
  • Take notice of yellow wildlife warning signs

Reduce your speed

  • This increases your time to safely react
  • This decreases the distance to stop
  • This decreases the possibility or severity of personal injury, should a collision be unavoidable

If wildlife crosses your path, stay in control

  • Brake
  • Sound your horn
  • Never swerve suddenly

If you lose control, you can suffer a far greater consequence – such as a head-on collision with another vehicle.

Your best defence is slowing down. So, remember, Speeding Costs You… Deerly!

Community Partnership

Thank you to our community partners for helping to make the Speeding Costs You Deerly campaign possible:

Speeding Costs You Deerly: Award-winning campaign

An extensive communications campaign was undertaken in the fall of 2006 to increase awareness among drivers about the high incidence of deer-vehicle collisions. Drivers were educated about the importance of reducing speed, being alert, staying in control and understanding deer traffic patterns as ways to reduce the number of collisions.

Once known as the deer-vehicle collision capital of Ontario, Ottawa’s Speeding Costs You Deerly campaign has been a resounding success. Since 2006, deer-vehicle collisions have decreased by an amazing 38 per cent, resulting in an estimated social cost savings of $1.1 million.

Wins MTO Award

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) recently recognized the Integrated Road Safety Program for its Speeding Costs You Deerly initiative. The program won the 2006 Road Safety Achievement Award in the category ‘Road Safety Achievement of the Year’. The award winning program committee included members from Ottawa Police, the City’s rural health team and Public Works and Services, community residents, MTO, OPP, CAA and Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

Wins Environmental Award

The Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre presented the City of Ottawa with a special Environmental Award for its Speeding Costs You Deerly campaign. The Centre elected to give this award, only the second award given in its 22-year history, because the campaign’s objective of prevention and education is at the heart of the Centre’s mission in establishing a better understanding and appreciation for wildlife while mitigating the impact of development and human encroachment into wildlife habitat.

Slow down for us!

Is speeding a concern in your community? In 2013, SRO ran many “Slow Down for Us” campaigns. Invite us to your next community association meeting where we will present you the options that are right for your neighbourhood. Interventions range from “Slow Down For Us” lawn signs (picture below) to short term speeding enforcement by members of the Ottawa Police. 

For more information please contact sro@ottawa.ca 

Impaired driving is a leading factor in fatal or major injuries on Ottawa roads

Audio: Intense music plays in the background throughout the video.
Visual: The screen displays the perspective through a police officer’s windshield. The tip of the steering wheel, dashboard, and hand of the police officer holding the wheel are visible. A car on the road in front of the police car is veering off to the right of the road. Police car turns on the siren and pulls the car over to the side of the road. The police officer, who is wearing a mask, exists their car. The City of Ottawa logo is in the bottom right corner throughout the video.
Audio: Police siren.
Text on screen: Impaired driving remains one of the major causes of collisions, fatalities and major injuries on Ottawa roads.
Visual: The police officer is holding a clipboard while they watch the driver try to walk in a straight line. Then, the police officer puts hand cuffs on the driver. Pictures of crashed cars are displayed on the screen.
Text on screen: It can cost you your licence, your freedom, and your life.
Visual: The police officer escorts the driver into the police car.
Text on screen: Driving impaired is dead wrong.
Visual: Scene change. Car drives across the road to reveal a message. A banner is on the bottom of the screen.
Text on the message on the road: Think safety, act safely.
Images on the banner: Safer Roads Ottawa, Towards Zero logo.
Description of Safer Roads Ottawa, Towards Zero logo: A cyclist, driver in a car, and two pedestrians. Each image has a circle around it.
Text on the banner: Safer Roads Ottawa, Towards Zero logo. Ottawa Police Service title and logo. ottawa.ca/roadsafety. City of Ottawa logo.
Audio: Intense music fades out.
End of “Road Safety Action Plan – Impaired driving” transcript.