Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be out this civic holiday long weekend in full force, cracking down on motorists who don’t obey the law.
According to the latest data from the OPP, 84 per cent of this year’s traffic-related deaths were preventable and were the result of poor or careless driving behaviour.
As of July 26, 138 people had died as a result of 131 fatal motor vehicle collisions on OPP-patrolled roads in 2021.
The data also shows that 57 per cent of the road fatalities involved one or more of the “Big 4” leading causal factors in road deaths.
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Those include impairment, aggressive driving and speeding, distracted driving and not wearing a seatbelt.
“Wherever you’re going this weekend, day-tripping, camping, going to the cottage, heading out on the water,” urged OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, “please make sure you’re driving responsibly.”
In addition to the increased police presence, drivers are reminded to comply with Ontario’s Move Over law, which requires drivers to slow down or move over when passing an emergency vehicle or tow truck parked on the side of the highway.
The OPP has laid more than 450 charges so far this year against drivers who failed to slow down and/or move over for emergency vehicles and tow trucks.
Those violations carry a $490 to $2,000 fine, plus three demerit points upon conviction.
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