(Grey County, ON.) – A female driver who was the subject of a routine traffic stop in Meaford Thursday evening (15-Apr-10) made matters much worse, especially for herself, when she became belligerent and combative with the police officer.
A Grey County OPP officer observed a driver operating a car while not wearing a seat belt and stopped the same on Paul Street in the town of Meaford just before 8 pm. When informed of the reason for the stop the female driver became highly agitated and while handing documents over to the officer screamed and shoved the officer before throwing the items on the ground. She indicated verbally and with actions she was going to leave the scene and as the officer took control she became combative and resistive. Eventually she was placed under arrest and held for a short period before being taken to Grey Bruce Health Services-Meaford out of concern for her volatile and irrational behaviour.
The 45 year-old woman from the Town of the Blue Mountains has been charged with the Highway Traffic Act offence of failing to wear her seatbelt. Additionally she also faces the Criminal Code charges of Assault Police and Resist Arrest. She is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice-Owen Sound on June 24, 2010.
In a recent media release Grey County OPP warned the public about the increased fine with regard to seat belt infractions (total cost $240.00) and the fact that two demerit points are also added to the drivers’ licence.
“Clearly, someone assaulting a police officer over a minor traffic offence is acting irrationally, but officers have noted an increase in motorists venting on them after being charged with a seat belt offence, largely because of the increased fine. It should be noted that the police do not create legislation or set the amount of fines, but we do enforce the law. The number of fatalities on Ontario roadways today is less than one third of what it was in the mid-1970’s and seat belt enforcement has played a major role in meeting that goal. It stands to reason that seat belt enforcement will remain a priority, so the simplest way to avoid the fine is to buckle up as over 90% of the motoring public in Ontario do alreadyâ€.