Direct link between poor decisions behind the wheel, deaths: OPP

Ontario Provincial Police want people to be exemplary drivers on the last long weekend of the summer. 

Police say 239 people have already died on OPP-patrolled roads this year, and now is as critical a time as ever for drivers to recognize the direct link between the loss of a life on Ontario roads and a driver who makes poor decisions and takes careless actions behind the wheel.     

Almost 50 per cent those road fatalities are attributed to drivers who were speeding, inattentive, alcohol/drug-impaired or not wearing their seat-belt (which includes unbuckled passengers), according to the OPP.

The "big four" factors in road deaths lead to similar consequences each year. Over the last five years, more than half of the fatalities were attributed to the big four — 946 deaths among those that were completely preventable, says the OPP.

Motorists are urged to exercise the utmost caution when they begin driving near school buses and busy pedestrian crossovers and school crossings next week.

Pedestrians and cyclists also have a role to play in keeping roads safe by maintaining a heightened sense of awareness. Parents are encouraged to have their kids brush up on school bus safety tips.   

The OPP hopes to see safe, smart decisions and behaviours on the part of all drivers and other road users while conducting "robust enforcement" and education around traffic laws over the Labour Day long weekend.       

The OPP says it is committed to delivering on its provincial traffic safety strategy, which aims to reduce and prevent injuries and fatalities, and enhance safety on roads, waterways and trails.