OPP Report Road Deaths and Numerous Traffic Charges over Thanksgiving Weekend

OPP Wrap Up Operation Impact (Oct 07-10, 2016)     

ORILLIA, ON, Oct. 12, 2016 /CNW/ - The long weekend ended in tragedy with seven people losing their lives in five separate collisions on Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-patrolled roads.

The OPP had hoped to get through the Thanksgiving Long Weekend with zero road fatalities to report – something they have not done since 2009.

Over the weekend, the OPP and its policing partners were counting on drivers and passengers to help keep roads safe and contribute to a successful national Operation Impact campaign.  The goal of the annual initiative is to reduce preventable road deaths that are linked to the "Big Four" causal factors: driver distraction, speeding, impaired driving and lack of seat belt use.      

Sadly, many people ignored or underestimated the important role every driver should have played in keeping roads safe over the weekend, resulting in numerous OPP charges being laid in relation to these dangerous driving behaviours on the road.

While the charges data is preliminary, the unsafe actions of drivers caused OPP officers to lay in excess of 5,500 speeding charges, close to 245 distracted driving and approximately 140 impaired driving charges. More than 500 vehicle occupants opted for a seat belt fine over buckling up to help keep themselves safe in the event of a collision.

Operation Impact is led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and supports Canada's Road Safety Strategy 2025 , the goal of which is to make Canada's roads the safest in the world.  

SOURCE Ontario Provincial Police

Contacts by OPP Region: Highway Safety Division: Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, Phone: [phone]; Central Region: A/Sgt. Paul Nancekivell, Phone: [phone]; East Region: A/Sgt. Angie Atkinson, Phone: [phone]; Northwest Region: Sgt. Shelley Garr, Phone: [phone]; North East Region: Sgt. Carolle Dionne, Phone: [phone]; West Region: Sgt. Dave Rektor, Phone: [phone]