Toronto police just issued more than 10,000 traffic tickets in less than a month

There may be some truth to the pejorative "Toronto driver" stereotype — you know, the one that suggests people in this city either can't drive or won't drive safely — if recent statistics are any indication. 

Toronto Police just announced that 7,138 tickets were issued for speeding infractions during their "Back to School and Bicycle Safety" blitz between Sept. 8 and Sept. 30 alone.

Another 2,651 tickets were given out during the same period of time for aggressive driving, according to police, while 338 and 110 were issued for distracted and impaired driving, respectively.

Every day @TorontoPolice assigns 8 officers to #VisionZero enforcement details - exclusively dedicated to focused traffic enforcement - speeding, distracted, aggressive driving. BIG results! @jamesramertps @ShawnaCoxon @TrafficServices https://t.co/A9mGe0Sjbw

— Scott Baptist (@TPScott_baptist) September 22, 2020

"September means 'Back to School' for thousands of Toronto students and the Toronto Police Service will be out on our city's roads reminding people about the importance of road safety," reads a release issued by Traffic Services when the campaign began last month.

"With emphasis on enforcement, education and community engagement, officers will be looking out for drivers who speed, drive aggressively and drive distracted or impaired."

Officers were deployed specifically to school zones in an effort to target people parking illegally, as "these behaviours lead to frustration, congestion and an unsafe environment for all road users."

While supporting #BackToSchool2020 we came across this example of what not to do. This driver parked directly beside a #NoStopping sign in a #BikeLane. Please be a good neighbour; your actions affect others. @TorontoPolice @ShawnaCoxon @TPScott_baptist @TDotCop @YourTrafficCop pic.twitter.com/TelbFuFrZy

— TPS Traffic Services (@TrafficServices) September 21, 2020

They weren't wrong, by the sounds of it: More than 10,000 tickets in total were issued to road users during the blitz.

"All road users need to consider the safety of our most vulnerable users: school children, pedestrians and cyclists," said Police Constable Jenelle Higo of the results.

"As students and their families settle back into the school year after a very long break, I want to remind everyone to pack their patience not just the schoolbags, slow down and keep your eyes on the road."