OPP Seeing Four-Year High in Deaths Linked to Crashes

Published April 24, 2017 at 5:49 pm

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In 2016, reports on fatal highway collisions in Peel were not as uncommon as one would have liked and it appears traffic-related deaths are on the rise in all of Ontario. 

Recently, the OPP announced that deaths linked to motor vehicle crashes across Ontario are at a four-year high.

“Certainly, it’s discouraging to see those numbers are going up,” said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.

A total of 307 people were killed in 2016 — up from 301 in 2015, 290 in 2014, and 293 in 2013.

Police say deaths are attributed to the ‘big four’ main causal factors, three of which are linked to driver behaviour – aggressive, inattentive and impaired driving – while the fourth, lack of seatbelt use, applies to drivers and passengers.

These behaviours were responsible for 165 of last year’s 307 deaths.

“Already this year, we’re at 64 deaths,” as of Monday morning, said Schmidt. “The number of fatalities we should have is zero.”

The OPP investigated 67,372 motor vehicle collisions in 2016, down from 2015’s 69,934 crashes. 

In terms of specific incidents, police report that 67 people were killed during collisions with transport trucks. Thirty-one motorcyclists were killed and a shocking 39 pedestrians–the highest number recorded in 12 years–succumbed to their injuries after being struck by vehicles in Ontario. 

Marking another four-year high are the 275 collisions that resulted in fatalities.

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