Speeders Drive Road Deaths Up; OPP to Crack Down

ORILLIA, ON, June 27, 2017 /CNW/ - The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is pointing to speeding drivers as the number one cause in road fatalities so far this year, with the death toll in this category 76 per cent higher than this time last year.

As of June 26, 2017 speeding has been linked with 30 road deaths on OPP-patrolled roads, compared to 17 in 2016.  

Excessive speed continues to threaten the safety of other road users with more than 1,400 charges so far this year laid by the OPP against drivers clocked at 50 km/h or more over the posted speed limit.   

During the Canada Day long weekend, OPP officers throughout the province will set their sights on speeding and all other forms of aggressive driving. These behaviours include following too closely, unsafe passing and lane changes, failing to yield right-of-way, road rage and other dangerous, high-risk driving behaviours.   

QUOTES

"For some drivers, instances of speeding and other forms of aggressive driving are frequent and for others, they are part of their everyday driving behaviour.  Last year, our officers laid more than 240,000 speeding charges against drivers who took the lives of other road users into their own hands."
- OPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair, Provincial Commander of Traffic Safety and Operational Support        

"Aggressive driving-related deaths have dramatically increased in Ontario in the last year. We all have a responsibility to ensure our roads are safe. This long weekend, remember to slow down, drive safely and respect your fellow motorists."
– Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services

"Even one life lost to reckless or dangerous driving is one life too many. Excessive speeding is completely unacceptable and I urge everyone travelling on the roads this Canada Day Long Weekend to slow down and stay safe. We take our work with our enforcement and other road safety partners to save more lives seriously and remind everyone of the real-life consequences of street racing – all drivers who put others on the road at risk by driving aggressively – could face a jail term of up to six month, fines of up to $10,000 and prolonged licence suspension upon conviction.
– Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation

LEARN MORE

Aggressive driving and road rage

SOURCE Ontario Provincial Police

Contacts by Region: Highway Safety Division: Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, Phone: [phone]; Central Region: A/Sgt. Mark Kinney, 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]

Related Links

http://www.opp.ca