OPP updates deadly toll
Posted Aug 2, 2011 05:46:37 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Provincial police are reporting eight fatalities on Ontario roads, trails and waterways this weekend. That’s an increase from the six deaths they had reported to 570 News as of early Tuesday morning.
During the holiday weekend, six persons were fatally killed in six separate collisions on OPP-patrolled roads throughout the province. There were also preliminary reports of one All Terrain Vehicle death and one marine incident resulting in the loss of one life.
“Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families of those who lost their lives on our roads this weekend,” OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis said in a release. “The OPP is doing everything it can to make our roads as safe as possible.”
The OPP Provincial Traffic Safety Program has increased officer visibility and put a strong focus on four key areas; aggressive driving, driving while impaired, the wearing of seatbelts and driving while being distracted.
The OPP also focused some of their attention on the Move Over Legislation, which came into effect in 2003, and requires drivers to slow down and move over to leave a lane between their vehicle and an emergency vehicle with lights flashing at the side of the highway if it can be done safely.
“It seems that many drivers were not even aware that this law exists,” states Lewis. “We need to continue with the education and awareness on this piece of legislation
so we ensure our emergency personnel can operate safely.”
Almost 6500 charges were laid by OPP this weekend, for offenses ranging from speeding to impaired driving.
