Ontario Provincial Police are reminding motorist to obey the rules of the road over the Victoria Day long weekend.
Officers will be out in full force on provincial highways, waterways and trails looking for high risk behaviours such as impaired, distracted and aggressive driving.
Other areas where police will be focusing on include seat belts, proper helmets for off-terrain vehicles and life jackets for those on the water.
Special attention will be paid to motorcyclists and off-road vehicles riders.
“Our focus for the Victoria Day long weekend, which overlaps with Canada Road Safety Week, is talking about vulnerable road users. So those motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians. People that don’t have the luxury of a safety cage around them in a vehicle,” said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.
“If you’re a driver, you need to be absolutely vigilant and make sure that any lane change or any turn you make can be done safely. If you’re a motorcyclist of one of those people on a smaller vehicle, you need to pay attention and understand that even if you’re in the right, and you’re involved in a collision, you’re probably going to be the one that’s going to get hurt the most.”
READ MORE: Motorcyclist dies after crash in Oakville
A total of 27 motorcyclists and four passengers lost their lives in 2015 and authorities hope to reduce those numbers this year.
Meanwhile, authorities are encouraging off-road vehicles riders to wear proper head-gear to avoid injury and possible death.
OPP statistics over a 10-year period reveal 74 of the 167 deceased riders were found not wearing helmet at the time of the crash.
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