Ontario Provincial Police, the force that polices Caledon, spent the Thanksgiving long weekend targeting the driving behaviours most likely to kill, as part of a national traffic safety campaign.
The OPP joined police services across Canada for Operation Impact, an annual initiative led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Ontario Provincial Police said. The campaign supports Canada's Road Safety Strategy and zeroes in on high-risk driving that contributes to serious collisions.
The timing is no accident. Over the past decade, Thanksgiving weekends have recorded the second-highest number of fatalities of any long weekend in Ontario, according to the OPP.
Last year alone, 13 people died in roadway collisions in OPP jurisdictions during the holiday weekend.
Impairment and missing safety gear top the list
Alcohol and drug use remain the leading factors in long-weekend fatalities over the last 10 years, police said. Failing to wear safety equipment — seatbelts, helmets and lifejackets — continues to be a significant contributor to deaths.
In support of Operation Impact, officers patrolled highways and local roads across Ontario, combining education with enforcement. Their focus was on impaired driving caused by alcohol, drugs and fatigue, along with aggressive driving, distracted driving, and the proper use of seatbelts and child car seats.
The enforcement didn't stop at the roadway. As throughout the year, OPP officers were also out on trails and waterways over the weekend, targeting unsafe behaviour and promoting safety among off-road vehicle riders and boaters.
A Thanksgiving safety message
The force's message to travellers was blunt: don't let your decisions lead to death or injury on the roads, trails or waterways. Police urged everyone to drive sober, pay attention, slow down, and wear a seatbelt, helmet or lifejacket every time.
With families and friends gathering for Thanksgiving, the OPP asked drivers and riders to make safety a priority — so that arriving safely is one more thing to be thankful for.
For Caledon residents, the campaign is a reminder that OPP patrols continue beyond the holiday weekend, with impaired and distracted driving enforcement ongoing across the town's rural roads and concession roads year-round.
