After an increase in distracted driving collision fatalities, provincial police will be cracking down on the offence as part of the heightened enforcement over the Labour Day long weekend.
Distraction-related collision fatalities in OPP jurisdiction continue to surpass impaired driving-related deaths this year, say police.
According to the OPP, everyone travelling on roads and highways should be equally concerned about this alarming trend.
“Most people would not get into a vehicle with an impaired driver and they are at as much risk in the presence of a distracted driver as an impaired driver,” says Chief Superintendent Don Bell, commander of the OPP Highway Safety Division.
He encourages passengers to speak up and remind drivers not to text and drive or talk on their cell phone.
“So far this year, 47 of the 177 people killed in motor vehicle collisions in OPP jurisdiction involved distracted driving, compared to 32 impaired driving-related collision deaths,” says Deputy Commissioner Larry Beechey, provincial commander of Traffic Safety and Operational Support.
Speeding and other aggressive driving behaviour, impaired driving and seat belt compliance will also be on the OPP’s radar over the long weekend.
Boaters and off-road vehicle users can also expect to see a strong OPP presence on waterways and trails, with ORV fatalities up 80 per cent and marine fatalities up more than 15 per cent this year.
