In their continued effort to address road safety issues and educate citizens on the rules of the road, the HRP/RCMP Integrated Traffic Unit is focusing on cell phone enforcement and vehicle safety compliance checkpoints during April.

A number of daytime checkpoints will be conducted, some in partnership with Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Compliance Officers. Safe vehicles are an important component of overall road safety.

All motorists are asked to have a look at your vehicle’s inspection sticker to ensure it is up-to-date. Regardless of who owns a vehicle, it is your responsibility as the driver to ensure the vehicle’s inspection, permit, and insurance is up to date, as it will be you, the driver, who will receive a ticket if it is not.

Also, talking on a hand-held cell phone (or texting) while driving has been banned in Nova Scotia for one year now. During the first 12 months of the law, 1747 tickets were issued in HRM for infractions. Talking on a handheld phone while driving is a distraction and driver distractions lead to accidents. If you must talk on your phone while driving, purchase a hands-free device, or safely park on the side of the road before talking.

In February, the unit’s focus was safety checkpoints and targeting of impaired drivers. They issued 922 tickets during the month. On a positive note, night-time checkpoints targeting impaired drivers only resulted in one man being charged with the offence.