May 2012 STEP – Young Drivers

Throughout the month of May the Medicine Hat Police Service will be focusing on Young Drivers as part of the province wide Selected Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP).  Vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of young people in Alberta.  Age, inexperience, distraction and peer pressure are significant factors in vehicle-related injuries and death during the teen years.  Crash rates for young drivers are highest when there are teen passengers in the vehicle and when driving at night.  One in five new drivers is involved in a collision during their first year of driving.

Parents play a vital role in teaching their teens to drive.  Parents of teen drivers should set a good example behind the wheel, and set specific rules for their teen driver and stick to them.  Parents can also enroll their teen in driver education, and most importantly, help your teen practice driving. 

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May 2012 BEEP - Dogs in vehicles or unattended

The May 2012 B.E.E.P. will be focusing on dogs in vehicles and left unattended in a yard. 

Keeping your animal safe while in a vehicle and left alone in the yard is the responsible thing to do.  In Medicine Hat the Responsible Animal Ownership Bylaw also legislates this.  Here are some of the things that are prohibited in the bylaw:

• Do not leave your pets unattended in vehicles without proper ventilation.
• Whether parked or moving, it is illegal for a dog to be in the open box of a truck or trailer unless they are in a kennel or other animal carrier.
• It is illegal to leave your dog tied up in a yard while no one is home.  Dogs that are left tied up can become tangled and injure themselves.  They also become frustrated and are more likely to cause a nuisance by barking. 
• If you are at home and tie your dog up, it must not be able to get closer than 1.5 meters from the public sidewalks or property lines. 

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