Western Ontario accounts for highest number of deaths from motor vehicle collisions: OPP

A review of the number of deaths on Ontario roadways shows Western Ontario accounts for the highest number of deaths from motor vehicle collisions.

“The OPP has recently reviewed the 2016-2017 Traffic Plan, and sadly, it’s showing a trajectory that we don’t want to see. In the west region alone, we lead the province in the number of personal injury and fatal crashes. This year alone, we’ve investigated 78 crashes with 90 people dead. That number is just unacceptable,” said Sgt. Dave Rektor.

 “Everything is pointing back to driving behaviour that is less than desirable.”

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According to a release sent out by the Ontario Provincial Police, 500 drivers have been charged so far this year, and nearly 300 of those were related to commercial vehicles.

“But even more disturbing with the commercial motor vehicles is that we’ve inspected 36 of them and taken seven of them off the road,” said Rektor.

When asked which bad driving behaviours are most common, Rektor said it’s always one of the “big four.”

“Distracted driving, impaired driving, aggressive driving and failure to wear a seatbelt. It’s really simple. It’s the same causal factors each and every time,” he said.

What’s frustrating, Rektor added, is that they’re all preventable. He said if people could just get their heads around the idea, they can be part of the solution and stop being part of the problem, and the highways would be safer for everybody.

But it’s not all bad news. As a result of a 25 per cent increase in fatal crashes in 2016, the OPP implemented a program to help identify bad driving behaviour.

“We’ve implemented the Traffic Action Plan, and part of that program has seen the use of intercept officers on the ground as well as using our aerial services with the OPP to not only educate and create awareness but actually use for enforcement,” said Rektor.

The results of the program have so far been successful. There has been an 8 per cent decrease in the number of injuries and a 5 per cent decrease in the number of fatalities. The current trend has the OPP in the west region on track to see a 21 per cent decrease in the number of commercial vehicle collisions.