A Town Hall meeting is set to be held Wednesday evening (Aug 12) to discuss stunt driving and road safety on Highway 6 on the Bruce Peninsula.
Stunt driving is doing 50km/h or more over the posted speed limit.
This is one of a handful of meetings that have taken place over the past few years as stunt driving becomes a more apparent problem, particularly on the stretch of road from Wiarton to Tobermory.
Wednesday's meeting will be held online at 6 p.m. and livestreamed over West Region OPP's Periscope/Twitter and Facebook accounts (Twitter – @OPP_WR; Facebook – @OPPWest).
Panelists will include:
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker
South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson
Northern Bruce Peninsula Mayor Milt McIvor
Ministry of Transportation
Bruce Peninsula Safe Communities Committee
West Region OPP Traffic and Marine Manager, Insp. Shawn Johnson
Grey Bruce OPP Detachment Commander, A/Insp. Paul Shambers
Police say the livestream will be open to the general public for comment and there will be question and answer opportunities as well.
OPP say the purpose of the virtual town hall is based on the understanding that we all play an integral role and are parts of the whole success that will make Highway 6 safer.
In 2017, five people died on the stretch of highway from Wiarton to Tobermory in just over two months. On August 26th 2017, a couple in their early 20s Traves Stephen Atchison and Jana Watson, were hit by a dangerous driver and fatally injured. The 30 year old Mississauga man driving the vehicle that hit them head-on and a 39 year old passenger of his also died. Three other people in that vehicle were injured.
On October 3rd, 2017, 38 year old Bruce County area pastor Edward (Chad) Honneyman was driving his motorcycle when he was struck and fatally injured by an oncoming car. The driver of the car was charged with dangerous driving.
As a result of these deaths, the Bruce Peninsula Safer Communities Committee was formed and a series of meetings were held in a effort to come up with ways to make the increasingly busy highway safer, and deter people from stunt driving on it.
Grey Bruce OPP Constable Adam Belanger says back in 2012, just one stunt driver was charged on the section of highway. Meanwhile, 43 people were charged with stunt driving on the highway between Wiarton and Tobermory in 2017. In 2018, about 130 were charged. In 2019, OPP charged 190 people with stunt driving on the 75 km stretch of road.
So far in 2020, (as of August 5th) 162 stunt drivers have been charged.
Belanger says this summer, police have added more signage, used an OPP plane to spot speeders from the air, and charged dozens of drivers on some busier weekends.
Belanger says in one weekend about 35,000 vehicles are heading in one direction, “That's 35 up and 35 back…there's a lot of movement that's happening on a small highway.”
#GreyBruceOPP over the past long weekend 13 more stunt drivers were stopped and charged on Hwy 6. The fastest was travelling over 170km/h in 80 km/h zone. #OPP is committed to safety on the highways. ^ab #NoExcuse #SlowDown #DriveSafe #JourneyResponsibly pic.twitter.com/6Yzl9kwkQq
— OPP West Region (@OPP_WR) August 4, 2020
Eyes in the sky supporting officers on #Hwy6 @opp_wr
Motorcyclists charged with #StuntDriving #StreetRacing #7DayLicenceSuspension #7DayVehicleImpound pic.twitter.com/9Jxni6m5Lw— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) August 2, 2020
#StuntDriving #Hwy6 Traffic Enforcement in #GreyBruceOPP https://t.co/XexXSz1DOy
— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) July 31, 2020