Peterborough County OPP reminding drivers to be vigilant during Thanksgiving long weekend

This long weekend, Peterborough Police and OPP are taking part in Operation Impact, a campaign reminding drivers to be vigilant on the roads.

OPP say that so far this year more than 155 road deaths have been linked to the “Big Four”: aggressive driving, alcohol/drug impaired driving, inattentive driving, and a lack of seat belt use.

“This long weekend we’ll have a lot of our officers on our roadways patrolling, also doing ride programs. We’ll also have officers on the water as the Trent Severn Waterway is open until Monday afternoon, and we’ll also have them on ATV trails,” said Const. Joseph Ayotte from Peterborough County OPP.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This long weekend we'll have a lot of our officers on our roadways patrolling, also doing ride programs. We'll also have officers on the water as the Trent Severn Waterway is open until Monday afternoon, and we'll also have them on ATV trails," said Const. Joseph Ayotte from Peterborough County OPP.

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Ayotte says last Thanksgiving in Ontario there were four fatalities in motor vehicle and off-road accidents so officers are stressing the importance of safety.

“We just want to get people to their destination safely,” he said. If people slow down, take their time, obviously refrain from drugs or alcohol before driving, then everybody will have a good Thanksgiving and get to their destinations safely, he said.

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The OPP caution that even with cannabis legislation coming into effect later this month, it’s still illegal to drive while impaired by drugs.

Officers are reminding drivers to allocate extra time for travelling and to always, drive sober.