(Credit: Ontario Provincial Police)
During Thanksgiving weekend the Ontario Provincial Police laid a total of 8,870 traffic-related charges throughout Ontario.
“It really comes down to the fact that driving is a privilege. It’s not a right and we need people to make sure that they understand that. And if you are traveling on the highways, be prepared,” West Region O.P.P. Sergeant Ed Sanchuk says.
There was a higher police presence during this long weekend, according to Sanchuk.
Aggressive drivers were the most significant risk on the roads this long weekend, accumulating 4,902 speeding charges and 133 stunt or racing charges in Ontario, according to a media release from the O.P.P. News Portal.
“It really comes down to the fact that when you get behind that wheel of a vehicle, even before you put that vehicle into gear, you want to warm up your vehicle, warm up your mind, making sure that you’re prepared for the unexpected,” Sanchuk continues.
The O.P.P. also fined 388 drivers and passengers violating seatbelt laws, 85 drivers were fined with distracted driving, and 163 criminal code charges were laid for impaired driving over the long weekend in Ontario, according to the media release.
