Collision-damaged vehicle on display at Laurier’s Waterloo campus as part of police road safety campaign

Wilfrid Laurier University is partnering with the Waterloo Regional Police Service on “Operation Impact” – a national road safety campaign led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.

As a community partner, Laurier is one of four local sites hosting a police display of a vehicle severely damaged in a serious collision. The vehicle will be located on University Avenue at Mid-Campus Drive for a week, beginning Oct. 6.

The image of the damaged vehicle may be disturbing. The purpose of the dramatic display is to show the impact of some of the leading causes of deadly crashes, including:

• Distracted driving: texting and driving means you are four times more likely to get into a serious crash with injuries.
• Aggressive driving: over 40 per cent of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes were only 16 to 24 years old.
• Impaired driving: on average, four Canadians are killed every day due to impairment-related crashes.
• Seatbelts: Seatbelts save about 1,000 lives a year in Canada. If you choose not to wear a seatbelt you are increasing your likelihood of serious injury or death.

The “Operation Impact” campaign is a police initiative designed to change the behaviours that put drivers, passengers and other road users most at risk.

Vehicles will also be on display at the Kitchener Auditorium, Cambridge Centre Mall and St. Jacobs Farmers Market.