With the school year set to begin, the OPP will be highly visible over the Labour Day Long Weekend, ensuring drivers are sharing the road safely and practicing the exemplary driving habits that are vital to keeping children, other students and all other road users safe.
By the end of August, OPP traffic officers and collision investigators had responded to 165 fatal motor vehicle collisions, marking the 179th road fatality of the year. When factoring in its latest traffic data, the OPP is concerned that aggressive, impaired and inattentive motorists will drive these numbers higher before the end of 2020.
Speed was a contributing factor in 32 of this year’s fatalities. Twenty eight (28) of the deaths were linked to driver inattention and 28 involved alcohol and/or drugs. Lack of seat belt use – a behaviour attributed to both drivers and passengers – accounted for 34 deaths.
Motorcyclists have been particularly hard hit, with 26 motorcycle drivers and two (2) passengers losing their lives so far this year. Failing to yield right of way was the lead contributing factor in these collisions. By comparison, 16 motorcycle drivers and one (1) passenger were killed by this time last year.
Also up from 2019 are pedestrian fatalities at 27, compared to 21 deaths last year. Six (6) cyclists have also lost their lives this year after being struck by vehicles.
In 2019, the OPP responded to 75,121 motor vehicle collisions in which 335 people lost their lives.
