OPP lay more than 14k charges during traffic safety campaign

Over the week that included Canada Day, Jun. 25 to Jul. 3, 2022, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were kept busy, laying 14,068 charges across the province.

Throughout that week, OPP conducted a “robust enforcement and education campaign on roads, waterways and trails,” according to a media release dated Thursday, Jul. 7, 2022. During the campaign, the OPP said that they engaged with people travelling in motor vehicles, on off-road vehicles, and in marine vessels, focusing on their compliance with lifesaving equipment laws around lifejackets, seatbelts and helmets.

According to the OPP, officers laid 1,017 charges against drivers and passengers who failed to keep themselves safe by not adhering to these important laws.

The OPP said that they also focused on risky driving behaviours on and off the road. According to the release, officers were “particularly dismayed” at motorists who racked up 8,287 speeding charges and 175 stunt/racing charges.

Among the other traffic/criminal offences for which drivers were held accountable were 322 impaired driving charges and 167 distracted driving charges, OPP said. The Lennox and Addington detachment laid four impaired driving charges locally over the long weekend.

Sadly, OPP reported that four people were killed in road collisions over the Canada Day long weekend and one person died in an off-road vehicle incident.

The OPP is reminding drivers, trail users and boaters that doing their part to keep themselves and their passengers safe is key to significantly reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries on and off the road.