The Ontario Provincial Police are urging motorists to drive safely this weekend as new traffic data tells a terrible tale of tragedy on the province's roads.
OPP officers have responded to 209 fatal motor vehicle collisions so far this year, which claimed the lives of 224 people. Drivers accounted for 155 of those killed, 33 of the victims were passengers and 36 were pedestrians.
West Region OPP Drivers accounted for 155 of those killed, 33 of the victims were passengers and 36 were pedestrians.
West Region OPP Regional Media Relations Coordinator Derek Rogers says 85 of those fatalities were in the west region,
"So we're talking about, in West Region, an entirely full school bus, plus 13 more people standing outside. That's a lot of people. That's a lot of tragedy, it's a lot of live altered," he continued.
The OPP's Operation Impact campaign is getting underway to target the top four most dangerous behaviors on the roads: speeding, aggressive driving, distracted driving and the lack of seatbelts. "These are very simple straight forward safety precautions everyone can do to make sure they get where they're going safely," he added.
Rogers says dangerous habits like speeding can kill and maim people.
"It's the effects of speed on the human body, and the profound physical impact that can result in a crash, at a high rate of speed," he explained.
Speed leads the list of causal factors in preventable road fatalities, with 41 deaths linked to this dangerous driving behaviour. The OPP has observed a near 30 per cent increase in excessive speeding this year, having laid almost 6,800 racing and stunt driving charges to date.
"In west region we've laid over 1300 stunt or racing charges, that's a 41% increase over last year," he said. Not wearing a seat belt -- a behaviour attributed to drivers and passengers - was a contributing factor in 40 of this year's deaths. Inattentive drivers were linked to 37 fatalities and 35 deaths involved drug/alcohol-impaired drivers.
"With three months to go in what continues to be an exceptionally difficult year for people, every driver and -- where seat belt use is concerned -- passenger, is in a position to stop the senseless loss of life on our roads. All it takes is a firm commitment to refrain from engaging in dangerous behaviours and habits that cut innocent lives short and leave many victims with life-changing injuries every year," said OPP Chief Superintendent Rohan Thompson, Commander, Highway Safety Division.