156 road deaths linked to ‘big four’ factors, OPP says ahead of Thanksgiving weekend

As you map out your Thanksgiving weekend travel plans, the OPP are reminding drivers that officers will be out on provincial highways.

OPP and police forces across Canada have launched Operation Impact, with a focus on the leading contributing factors in road fatalities.

The so-called big four are aggressive driving, alcohol and drug impaired driving, inattentive driving and lack of seatbelt use.

As of Oct. 1, 156 people have died in collisions on OPP-patrolled roads that were linked to the big four.

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Fifty of those 156 deaths have been linked to speeding, a form of aggressive driving. Thirty-seven were attributed to an inattentive driver, and 35 deaths involved a driver who had consumed alcohol and/or drugs.

Failure to wear a seat belt was a factor in 34 people dying in collisions on OPP-patrolled roads.

“So far this year, the OPP has laid more than 175,155 charges against aggressive, inattentive, alcohol and drug-impaired drivers, and unbuckled vehicle occupants,” Deputy OPP Commissioner Brad Blair said in a news release on Thursday.

Aggressive, inattentive and impaired driving was linked to 15,269 collisions in 2018 — 95 of which were fatal, the OPP said.

“The goal of Operation Impact is not about issuing traffic tickets,” Blair said.  “It is about seeing every driver, without police intervention, refrain from risky driving behaviours and every vehicle occupant buckled up.”