Local police have released the results of a campaign to crack down on speeding and aggressive driving during the Canada Day long weekend.
OPP officers throughout the province set their sights on several driving behaviours, such as speeding, following too closely, unsafe passing and lane changes, failing to yield right-of-way, road rage and others.
Wellington County OPP officials say the local charges during the long weekend included:
– 70 speeding charges;
– 26 seatbelt charges;
– 21 Highway Traffic Act charges;
– five “hazardous moving violations”;
– four marine offences;
– two liquor licence violations;
– two impaired drivers;
– one insurance charge; and
– one distracted driving charge.
Wellington County OPP officers also investigated 23 vehicle collisions, many of them a result of drivers just not paying attention to the road, police say.
“Despite the education and the tragic consequences we have already seen on our roadways this year, drivers continue to put themselves and others at risk with excessive speed and poor driving decisions,” said Detachment Commander Scott Lawson.
“We will continue to make our presence known on the roads and highways and encourage everyone to slow down and ensure everyone arrives safely.”
Lawson added, “I’m grateful that in spite of 23 motor vehicle collisions this weekend, we didn’t see any serious injuries.
“I really encourage drivers to be conscious of their speed and to focus on the road.”
Provincial results
The Canada Day weekend ended on a tragic note with five people dying in collisions on OPP-patrolled roads.
The collisions bring the total number of 2017 deaths on OPP-patrolled roads to 113. Speed was a causal factor in 31 of those deaths.
The OPP laid over 5,800 speeding charges across the province over the weekend.
