Constable Randi Crawford called the Heart FM studio for the September edition of Tip Tuesday this morning.
OXFORD - It was a busy Tip Tuesday with the Oxford OPP.
Community Safety and Media Relations officer Randi Crawford covered a variety of topics on the Heart FM Morning Show today, ranging from items on the car dashboard to rushing a labouring mother to the hospital to deliver a baby.
You can find the complete breakdown of the questions answered below:
1) What is the law regarding articles on the dashboard and things that could restrict the drivers view? What about passengers with their feet on the dashboard?
Constable Crawford says anytime to add sometime to a vehicle, it decreases the vehicles safety rating. If you have fuzzy dice hanging on the rear view mirror, it could obstruct your view of the road. If you have a holder for a cellphone or GPS device, it could become detached in the event of a crash and become a projectile inside your vehicle.
She has seen lots of passengers with their feet on the dashboard while travelling on the 400 series highways over the years. Constable Crawford says she can understand wanting to stretch your legs during a long drive, but the injuries you could face in the event of a collision could be devastating.
"If you're to be involved in a collision and your legs are on that dashboard, you are going to potentially have your body go in positions it is not supposed to go in which could be catastrophic. You may have had a seatbelt bruise with the collision, and now you have a broken hip or a broken pelvis as well."
She adds someone with their feet on the dashboard might also not have their seatbelt properly secured, so they could face a charge from police.
2) If an emergency vehicle is driving toward you with its sirens blaring and lights flashing but there is a certain median in between, do you still have to pull over?
Constable Crawford says it's all depending on where you are.
"If it's in a bigger city where there is a potential that if the roadway is blocked ahead of them they might have to come over onto your side of the cement median to get around, then definitely that is a time when you are going to have to stop and pull as far over as you can."
If you run into this situation on a 400 series highway, Crawford says you should continue on as normal. If you slow down and look to see what's happening, you could find yourself involved in a collision.
3) Have you ever been involved in having to deliver or assist in the delivery of a baby on the way to the hospital?
Constable Crawford has never found herself in this situation, but she knows people who have been.
If you are with a pregnant mother in labour and feel like she needs to go to the hospital right away, Constable Crawford says it might be best to pick up your phone instead of your car keys.
"Sometimes the safest place is to stay where you are and call 9-1-1 to have EMS, fire, police or whomever come to you. At the end of the day, having a baby in the back of an ambulance is much better than you rushing to the hospital and getting in a collision on the way."
She adds you're never alone and the 9-1-1 dispatchers can talk you through everything while you wait for emergency personnel to arrive.
4) If someone is driving along Oxford Road 13 in Norwich Township, heading north towards Highway 59, would they have to signal right onto Salford Road and quickly signal left to turn back onto Oxford Road 13 and continue towards Highway 59?
Constable Crawford says anytime you are going from one road to another, you have to signal.
"It's not like you are just crossing over Salford Road to continue on an angle to Oxford 13. You are literally turning onto a different road and waiting until the way is clear before making that other change to the road again."
Even if you are only going to be on that middle road for a few seconds, you are still supposed to signal.
Crawford says it's always important to approach intersections cautiously, and thankfully not a lot of incidents have been reported at Oxford Road 13 and Salford Road.
Constable Crawford also wanted to clarify some of the misconceptions regarding e-scooters out there.
She says a lot of people seem to think the laws surrounding escooters are new, but that's not the case.
"They have been prohibited for years now. It's a just that now more people are getting them and more young persons have been ending up in hospital with serious injuries."
She says that's why police have been cracking down on them more often lately, to prevent other incidents from taking place.
The next Tip Tuesday is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27th and you can submit a question online here.
Suspect Wanted in Dirt Bike Hit and Run
Stelco to Lay Off Hundreds of Workers
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Oxford County
A Record Breaking Hike for Hospice in Woodstock
Flu Season Begins in SWPH Region
Interview with a City Councillor - September 28th, 2026
OCFA Debate in Embro Tonight
PJHL Recap - Sept 25th to Sept 27th
Navy Vets Recap - Sept 25th and Sept 26th
Fall Fest Returns to Museum Square
CAMI and Unifor Local 88 Receive Wes Magill Award
Bridge Closure in Otterville Today
Oxford County Wants Your Climate Stories
Charges Laid after Single-Vehicle Collision
SIU Closes Investigation in Embro
Collision in Zorra Sends Two to Hospital
PJHL Preview - Sept 25th to Sept 27th
Fatal Fire Investigation Concludes in Simcoe
Drumbo Fair Celebrates 176 Years
Comments
Add a comment