The Essex County Ontario Provincial Police have won a national award for a distracted driving initiative.
Constables, Karen Sinnaeve and Jacqueline Winand-Bacon have been awarded the National Police Partnership Award from the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).
The OPP say distracted driving is recognized as a complex and serious road safety issue, and these two officers created a community mobilization model engaging thousands of high school students throughout Tecumseh and Lakeshore.
The initiative involved students creating distracted driving messages that were broadcast by local radio, television and print media.
Local towing companies also donated vehicles to include active displays re-enacting emergency/trauma scenes on school properties.
A local trauma surgeon and paramedics demonstrated an emergency room scenario illustrating the realities of horrific collisions caused by distracted driving.
"Provincial Constables Sinnaeve and Winand-Bacon will be quick to deflect attention from themselves, however, it was through their vision, leadership and the amazing support of countless sponsors, and thousands of high school students who placed distracted driving in the forefront that lives are being saved in our communities," says Glenn Miller, detachment commander for Essex County OPP. "The students have a powerful voice and are listened to, so it is out of respect to them that all citizens need to eliminate the dependency of cell phone use and other distractions while driving."