Today (Monday) marks the conclusion of the Canada Road Safety Week Campaign.
Police will be out in full force to make sure the final day of the long weekend is a safe one for travellers returning home.
The initiative is led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee.
It focuses on reducing aggressive driving, distracted driving, drug an alcohol impaired driving, fatigue-impaired driving and seatbelt offences.
Police stress the decisions drivers make don’t just affect them, they can affect their passengers, other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians too.
Provincial Police have responded to 88 fatal collision so far this year compared to 75 at this time last year.
Poor and careless driving has contributed to the majority of the 109 fatalities on OPP-patrolled roads so far this year, a rate that hasn’t been seen in 10 years.
Stats show fatalities linked to driver inattention are up 79% over this time last year, with the loss of 25 lives to date.
There were 14 such deaths such deaths last year at this time.
Alcohol/drug-related deaths are also up with 15 people killed, marking a 36% increase over last year’s 11 deaths at this time.
Twenty-seven speed-related fatalities are not far off last year’s mark and continue to take the greatest toll among poor driving behaviours.
There’s also been a slight increase in seat-belt related deaths with 15 to date.
