All of the 165 OPP detachments are taking part in the annual Canada Road Safety Week campaign which runs from May 13 to May 19.
The campaign is aimed at making Ontario's roads the safest in the world.
“The goal of Canada Road Safety Week is to increase public compliance with safe driving measures and, ultimately, to save lives,” OPP commissioner Julian Fantino said in a news release. “We will be targeting aggressive drivers, those who drink and drive and those who don’t buckle up. We will also be watching for motorists who don’t slow down and, where possible, move over when passing an emergency vehicle parked on the shoulder of the road with its emergency lights flashing.”
Last year in Ontario, 451 people were killed in crashes on roads patrolled by the OPP, continued the release. Transport Canada statistics for 2006 show that 2,889 people were killed in collisions across the country and another 15,281 were seriously injured.
So far in 2008, 102 people have been killed in Ontario, which is lower than the same period last year, according to the release. Of these, 31 died in speed related collisions, 27 died in collisions where seat belts or child restraints were not used, and 15 died in alcohol related collisions.
“For many years, the OPP, along with police agencies across the country, have collaborated to raise the awareness regarding issues of public safety on our roads,” staff Sgt. Garry Mills of the Sudbury OPP detachment, said in the news release. “We also use this campaign to demonstrate our commitment to public safety and community wellness.”
Canada Road Safety Week supports Canada’s Road Safety Vision 2010, which is a plan to make the country's roads the safest in the world by that year.
