OPP reminds motorists to drive with caution this Thanksgiving weekend

As many of us prepare to visit loved ones this Thanksgiving weekend, Ontario Provincial Police are reminding motorists to drive with caution.

OPP says they’re joining police services across Canada for “Operation Impact” — a national campaign that focuses on high-risk driving behaviours. 

So far this year, 269 people have died on OPP-patrolled roadways. They say the Thanksgiving long weekend has been the deadliest weekend of the year on Ontario roads for decades.

“Last year during the Thanksgiving weekend, 13 people died,” OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt told CHCH News.

“Ten were in road collisions, three off roads, and again very preventable.”

Schmidt points to speeding, distracted driving, impairment and fatigue, along with failure to use seatbelts or proper child restraints as the leading causes of accidents.

Officers will be out in full force this weekend, targeting unsafe drivers. But Smith says they can’t be everywhere all the time, and are urging motorists to drive with caution.

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