OPP lay more than 6,000 charges over Thanksgiving weekend

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Operation Impact campaign ran for four days over the Thanksgiving weekend, conducting enforcement on highways and roads across Ontario. Operation Impact is a national campaign led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and supports Canada’s Road Safety Strategy.

Across the province, OPP responded to five road fatalities and laid 6,026 charges over the weekend according to a release from OPP dated Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. OPP said the four-day traffic safety initiative focused on aggressive drivers, motorists under the influence of alcohol/drugs, inattentive/distracted drivers and vehicle occupants who were not buckled up.

OPP shared a breakdown of the charges:

• Aggressive driving led the list of offences, with 4,595 speeding charges and 109 racing/stunt driving charges.
• Other offences resulted in 269 seatbelt, 102 impaired driving, and 94 distracted driving charges.

According to the release, these latest fatal road collisions bring the number of fatalities on OPP-patrolled roads to 218.

The OPP is reminding drivers and other road users that the majority of collisions and resulting deaths and injuries are preventable through safe, defensive driving and full compliance with seatbelt laws.