A sure sign summer is coming to an end as the Labour Day long weekend has arrived.
Provincial Police will be out in full force to ensure everyone stays safe the next couple of days.
By the end of August, officers responded to 165 fatal motor vehicle collisions in Ontario, marking the 179th road fatality of the year.
OPP say the numbers will likely go up before the end of the year.
Speed was a factor in 32 of the deaths, 28 were linked to driver inattention and 26 involved impaired driving.
Motorcyclists have been hit particularly hard, with 26 drivers and two passengers losing their lives so far.
Failing to yield was the factor in most of the fatalities.
At this time last year 16 motorcycle drivers and one passenger were killed.
Also up from 2019 are pedestrian fatalities at 27, compared to 21 deaths last year.
Six cyclists have also lost lives this year after being struck by vehicles.
Chief Superintendent Rohan Thompson is the Commander of the OPP Highway Safety Division and says ”For so many of the innocent people killed in these collisions, there’s a driver whose careless behaviour contributed to this senseless loss of life and the lifelong impact left with the surviving families. This is what our officers are thinking about when they issue you that ticket for speeding or breaking other traffic laws, and so should you.
