The move by Toronto police to stop going to accident scenes if nobody is hurt or the damage is under $2,000 is receiving some support from local drivers.
Toronto driver Brad Hardie said it probably makes sense.
“I just think it would be too expensive to send out policemen to every single accident that occurs in big cities like Toronto,” Hardie said. “If the damage is minor and no one is hurt, then the car should just drive directly to the collision centre to do self reporting.”
Fellow driver Gordon Hawke said he believes that the change will improve Toronto.
“It sounds like it’s more efficient,” Hawke said. “As you know, our police service is very expensive in the city, and we can’t have officers attending lots of little accidents where nobody’s hurt. I think it makes sense.”
Toronto Police Staff Sergeant Neil Bullock said a driver should call police if somebody goes to the hospital by ambulance from the accident scene.
“We would have a police officer investigate that one at the scene,” Bullock said.
He also suggested when a driver should not call police.
“If somebody got a stiff neck, a sore hand,” Bullock said. “Then those people would be directly coming here to the collision centre at their convenience within the next 24 hours to report the collision.”