After warnings from the OPP over the last couple of days about wildlife on the roads comes a caution from the North Bay Detachment that officers will be patrolling the highways while on the lookout for aggressive driving this Canada Day weekend.
The OPP will begin its first summer traffic campaign tomorrow and it will wrap up Monday. With the increase in traffic on the long weekend, officers will be out patrolling the highways watching for the “Big Four,” consisting of driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs, inattentive driving, aggressive driving and lack of occupant restraint. These high-risk behaviours account for the majority of motor vehicle collision fatalities and are completely preventable.
Acting Staff Sergeant Terry Foreshew, Detachment Commander of the North Bay OPP, advises that over 300 motor vehicle collisions, including four fatal collisions, have been investigated by the North Bay OPP Detachment this year. Says Foreshew, “Each of these ‘Big Four’ behaviours remains a serious public safety issue and contributes to a significant number of road deaths every year. Please slow down and drive sober!”
The Ontario Provincial Police laid close to 213,000 speeding charges and more than 4,800 street racing charges against Ontario drivers last year.
As the OPP gears up for its Canada Day Long Weekend Aggressive Driving Campaign, officers will be watching for drivers who speed and engage in other forms of aggression.
With 75 people dying in speed-related collisions on OPP-patrolled roads in 2017 (a five-year high), the OPP is revealing who their biggest speeding offenders were last year.
The OPP says among last year’s speeding charges, close to 148,000 were issued to male drivers, with female drivers drawing over 65,000 charges. Below are the top three male/female age group offenders:
Speeding charges (males by age group):
- 25 to 34 years: 37,498 charges
- 35 to 44 years: 27,959 charges
- 45 to 54 years: 26,212 charges
Speeding charges (females by age group):
- 25 to 34 years: 17,433 charges
- 35 to 44 years: 12,817 charges
- 45 to 54 years: 11,541 charges
The youngest male age group (16 to 20 years) accounted for 5,939 charges while their female counterparts drew 2,699 charges.
Among the street racing charges (for driving more than 50 kilometres per hour over the posted speed limit), males drew more than 4,100 charges, while close to 760 were issued to females. Below are the top three male/female age group offenders:
Street racing charges (males by age group):
- 25 to 34 years: 1,382 charges
- 21 to 24 years: 968 charges
- 35 to 44 years: 622 charges
Street racing charges (females by age group):
- 25 to 34 years: 260 charges
- 21 to 24 years: 155 charges
- 35 to 44 years: 130 charges
Among the youngest age group, 447 street racing charges went to 16- to 20-year-old males, compared to 91 charges laid against females in the same age group.
