HAWKESBURY, September 2, 2025 – In response to a significant increase in service requests related to road accidents, Victim Services Prescott-Russell (SVPRVS) is intensifying its efforts, in collaboration with several community partners, to promote road safety and support families affected by tragic events.

“Patience on the Road”: A Billboard Campaign for Behaviour Change

Under the theme “Patience,” a new awareness campaign was launched this summer to address risky behaviors such as distraction and impatience behind the wheel, major factors contributing to the rise in accidents on Highway 17, which runs through the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. Four targeted billboards have been installed in strategic locations to encourage drivers to:

• Reduce their speed,
• Delay sending text messages,
• Show courtesy,
• Respect traffic signs.

“We all need to do our part in ensuring Road Safety, what are you doing as a driver?  The signs are meant to remind us to slow down, have patience with ourselves and others so we can all reach our destinations safely. The “Big Four” causal factors in deaths and injuries on our highways, trails and waterways are: aggressive driving, inattentive driving, impaired driving, and lack of occupant restraints.” Said Inspector Josée Sabourin of the Russell County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. 

This initiative is made possible thanks to the Road Safety Community Partnership Program, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Prescott-Russell Regional Road Safety Action Committee (CARS-PR), and the United Counties of Prescott and Russell.

Emergency Car Seat Replacement Program

SVPRVS is also implementing a new emergency car seat replacement program for children, in response to critical situations where families are left without a safe way to transport their children after an accident or a fire.

In a rural context, where the lack of public transportation makes travel difficult, this service becomes essential, especially outside of regular business hours.“This program is a great solution to a problem we have encountered several times in recent years in L’Orignal. During a collision, a child car seat becomes unusable. If, fortunately, the passengers do not sustain any injuries and do not require ambulance transport, safe transportation for young children becomes very difficult, since no child car seats are available through fire or police services. The fact that SVPRVS will now have child car seats available will allow us to arrange safe transportation for children much more easily,” says François Bellemare, L’Orignal Firefighters Association, a donor organization to this program.

With support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the SVPRVS team now enables emergency services to request a new car seat for families in crisis situations. The program will launch in October 2025, in partnership with first responders and certified technicians from the Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada (CPSAC).

Free Training and Clinic: Child Passenger Safety

To support this initiative, SVPRVS will also offer:

• A certification training to become a Child Passenger Safety Technician;
• A free car seat installation clinic, where certified experts will be available to:
  • Inform parents about laws and best practices,
  • Check, adjust, and properly install car seats according to the child’s age and weight.

The second edition of the SVPRVS car seat clinic, in collaboration with the Town of Hawkesbury, the Hawkesbury Fire Department, CPSAC, and the OPP, will take place on Saturday, September 27, from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM at the Hawkesbury Fire Station, located at 780 Spence Avenue, Hawkesbury. To make an appointment, visit our website at svsprescottrussell.ca. 

These programs rely entirely on the generosity of the community and on one-time funding. Their continuity and growth depend directly on the support of partners, donors, and everyone who wishes to contribute to their impact. To make a donation, please visit our website at svsprescottrussell.ca. 

Useful Links

Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada : https://www.cpsac.org/

Road Safety Community Partnership Program Guide : https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/on00498