Operation Safe Trucking is back up and running this week.
This is an OPP initiative aimed at making the provinces highways safer for everyone traveling, especially around commercial trucks. The OPP says it investigates thousands of preventable CMV trailer collisions every year.
Constable Jennifer Smith says officers responded to over 13,000 collisions that involved a transport truck where 155 people lost their lives between 2015 and 2016. Smith says last year marked a ten-year high in fatal collisions involving a transport with 91 people killed in 76 collisions.
She says since January police have responded to over 3,600 transport related collisions, which is up 38 per cent from last year. Smith adds that 41 people died in those incidents.
Smith says this week police will be focusing on some rules of the road to start lowering this year’s trend:
- Following too close
- Speeding
- Improper lane changes
- Distracted driving
- Improper turns
- Failing to yield
- Improper passing
- Disobeying traffic control
The OPP says the goal is to make sure everyone gets home safe at the end of the day.