OPP joined Canadian policing partners for Operation Impact

October 29, 2014 · 0 Comments

The “Big Four” were contributing factors in 168 of the 216 road deaths investigated by the OPP this year (2014).
OPP stated the “Big Four” refers to the four main causal factors in traffic collision deaths: Distracted driving, speeding, impaired driving and lack of occupant restraint.
Because of all the fatalities, OPP joined policing partners across the country for Operation Impact over the holiday weekend. This was a national road safety enforcement and education campaign endorsed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP).
Speeding and distracted driving are in the lead of the four road death causal categories in OPP-investigated collisions. As of Oct. 5, speed was a factor in 51 of the 168 deaths and distracted driving was in second place with 45 deaths. Lack of occupant restraint was in third place at 38 deaths and impaired driving in fourth position as a causal factor in 34 deaths.
“Drivers have it within their means to end road deaths that fall into these four categories because these are not ‘accidents’ that occur through no one’s wrongdoing,” said OPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair, Provincial commander of traffic safety and operational support. “These collisions only occur when motorists drive aggressively, while impaired, while distracted or while they or their passengers are not buckled up. Regardless of the category, the tragic result is always related to poor driving behaviour. If drivers and passengers were more mindful of the critical role they play in changing these dangerous behaviours, the OPP and its policing partners would not have to stop them through these collective enforcement and education efforts.”
Police believe that if drivers and passengers across the country collaborate with them by taking these measures on the road all year, they can greatly contribute toward Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2015 and its vision of making Canada’s roads the safest in the world.
On a positive note, road deaths associated with impaired driving, distracted driving and lack of occupant restraint, as well as marine and trail fatalities are all down from last year (2013).
As of Oct. 5 (in OPP jurisdiction), there had been 34 impaired-related deaths (compared to 59 in 2013); 45 distraction-related deaths (68); 38 deaths related to lack of occupant restraint (49); 51 speed-related deaths (38); 14 marine deaths (20); and eight off-road vehicle deaths (15).