OPP take part in Canada Road Safety Week into long weekend

The Ontario Provincial Police are taking part in Canada Road Safety Week, which means that drivers may notice an increase in police presence on roadways leading into the Victoria Day long weekend.

Officers will be targeting the “big four” causes of serious collisions: impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding, and the improper use of seatbelts.

The initiative is part of Canada Road Safety Week, a seven-day campaign leading up to the Victoria Day long weekend. The campaign is designed to focus on the high-risk behaviors that put all road users in danger.

Speeding, alcohol and drug impairment, driver inattention and lack of occupant restraint were linked to a significant number of last year’s 344 fatalities on OPP-patrolled roads.

During the week, OPP “will conduct robust targeted enforcement and education to address these pervasive road behaviours and any other risks they observe drivers taking. As we head into the warmer months, motorists are also reminded to watch out for increased pedestrian and cyclist traffic,” a police statement reads.

“Drivers are reminded of their vital role in keeping roads safe and that some of the most consequential decisions of their lives are made behind the wheel.”

Data from Transport Canada shows that the country averages 1,887 road deaths annually. However, that figure surpassed 2,000 fatalities in both 2022 and 2023.

Steve Sullivan, the CEO of MADD, said impaired drivers continue to cause between 24 and 25 per cent of all fatal crashes in Canada. He noted that while the percentage is consistent with other countries, it is a number the organization has not been able to significantly reduce.

Canada Road Safety Week is led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and runs this year from May 12 to 18.

The week forms part of “Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2035 and Beyond.”

Police are asking anyone who witnesses dangerous driving or suspects someone is driving while impaired to contact the OPP communications line by dialing *OPP or *677.

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