Authorities will be keeping a close eye on roads during the Thanksgiving long weekend, watching for the top four causes of crashes.
During Operation Impact, officers will be targeting drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving and people who aren’t wearing seatbelts. The OPP said those are the four main factors in driving deaths.
“Drivers and passengers must be mindful of the critical role they play in changing dangerous driving behaviours,” said Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair, commander of OPP traffic safety and operational support.
“The OPP knows that enforcement works and educating the public about safe driving practices is a priority,” Blair said. “Motorists will see an increased presence on our highways as OPP officers work with police across this country during Operation Impact to make Ontario’s roads the safest in the world.”
Provincial police said the Big Four were factors in 170 of the 227 road deaths they investigated so far this year, with speeding and distracted driving causing the most carnage.
As of Oct. 4, speed was a factor in 48 of the 170 deaths, as was distracted driving. Police said impaired driving was a factor in 29 deaths. Failure to wear a seatbelt was a cause in 45 deaths.
Agencies/Canadajournal