WELLINGTON COUNTY – Local police laid over 200 charges during a Labour Day long weekend traffic safety campaign.
From Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, Wellington County OPP officers were deployed throughout the county, conducting strict enforcement “with the goal of preventing tragic collisions on our roadways,” police stated in a press release.
Officers focused on enforcement of what the OPP has termed the “big four” offences: speeding/aggressive driving, distracted driving, impaired driving and seatbelts.
Police say an analysis of those offences confirmed they are common contributing factors in fatal and serious-injury vehicle collisions.
Over the long weekend Wellington County OPP laid about 207 charges, including: 87 for speeding, four for stunt driving (driving more than 50km/h above the speed limit), seven for not wearing a seatbelts, six for impaired driving and 19 for other hazardous moving violations.
“It never ceases to amaze me how many drivers make the foolish and selfish decision to drive while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs,” stated Wellington County OPP Sgt. Darryl Porterfield, manager of the traffic management unit.
“Even with the penalties being so significant for those caught, some drivers aren’t getting the message. Over the course of the weekend our officers took six drivers off the road that were impaired or over the legal limit.
“That’s six drivers that could have very easily been responsible for the death of somebody’s loved one. We will continue to be ever vigilant in our impaired driving enforcement efforts.”
Across Ontario
ORILLIA – Province-wide, seven traffic and two off-road vehicle deaths made for a tragic Labour Day weekend on OPP-patrolled roads, trails and waterways.
Seven people died in six separate road collisions over the weekend – two more than during the same period last year – with one death attributed to inattention.
Two people died in an off-road vehicle incident; one of the victims was not wearing a helmet. On a positive note, there were no marine fatalities during the long weekend, compared to two in 2018.
The OPP laid 263 distracted driving charges during its Labour Day weekend campaign. Overall officers laid a total of 8,179 charges throughout the province, including over 5,000 for speeding and 174 charges for racing/stunt driving.
“The OPP is reminding Ontario residents and visitors to take responsibility for their own safety and make better decisions regarding their use of hand held devices and other activities to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on our roads, waterways and trails,” police stated in a press release.
