Fatal collisions in the Region are up 23 per cent from last year, according to Central Region OPP.
“Especially with the Province looking to open up again, people are definitely anxious to get out, but this is not the time to take unnecessary risks and end innocent lives,” says Central Region OPP’s Gosia Puzio.
Sixteen people have already died in collisions in the region. Five have died because of speeding, three people from impaired driving, three from lack of seatbelt use, and five from other causes.
Provincially, 94 people have died in collisions on OPP-patrolled roads this year, up from 87 people by the same time last year, an increase of eight per cent. According to the OPP, speeding and inattentive driving have accounted for almost half of all fatal collisions, with 27 deaths related to speeding, and 16 related to inattention.
The OPP says that a significant number of people who die in collisions die through no fault of their own, and that it is risky driving from other vehicles that take lives. Puzio urges residents to be careful when driving.
“We’re really hoping people start to take to heart the impact that these collisions have on lives, whether lives are taken or they’re severely affected through injury, whether that’s physical, mental, or emotional,” says Puzio. “[It’s] definitely not a trend we want to keep seeing.”
Central Region OPP says it will be ramping up road patrols and RIDE program checks to address the increase in collisions.