OPP out in force this weekend

The OPP will have all available ressoursces out this weekend in a program to reduce traffic fatalities. In its Oct. 8 press release the force states, "The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is making preparations for its annual participation in Operation Impact, a Canada-wide traffic safety initiative aimed at making the nation’s highways the safest in the world. Operation Impact runs over the Thanksgiving long weekend beginning Friday October 9, through to Monday October 12.

Operation Impact is an enforcement-driven traffic initiative designed to increase public awareness and compliance with safe driving measures whose goal is to save lives. The OPP strategy for Operation Impact will be to focus on impaired driving, aggressive driving and occupant restraint use. The other part of the initiative is an education campaign in raising the public’s awareness and addressing the importance of safe driver behaviour.

The OPP will be committing all available resources over the Thanksgiving long weekend not only on OPP patrolled roads but also on waterways and trails. To assist front line officers in this initiative, the OPP will be taking to the skies by utilizing two aircraft that will be targeting aggressive drivers and speeders.

“The tragedy of losing a loved one to traffic collisions has touched most of us” said OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino. “Last year during the Thanksgiving Long Weekend we saw nine persons needlessly lose their lives in motor vehicle collisions on OPP patrolled highways.” He added, “This year, if we are to reach our goal of making our roads the safest they can be, our officers will need the public to make a commitment to safe driving.”

This upcoming long weekend is traditionally one of the busiest on Ontario highways as people head to their cottages and visit family for the final long weekend of what is referred to as the summer driving season. “OPP members across the province will be highly visible and there will be no tolerance for unsafe operators” said OPP Deputy Commissioner Larry Beechey Provincial Commander responsible for Traffic Safety.

Chief Superintendent Bill Grodzinski, Commander of the Highway Safety Division sums up the OPP’s objective for this initiative by stating, “Operation Impact is supported by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Transport Canada and is part of Road Safety Vision 2010, which has a goal of making Canada’s roads the safest in the world by 2010. It is also part of the OPP’s Provincial Traffic Safety Program. The key part of traffic enforcement is to save lives and reduce serious injuries on our roadways, trails and waterways”."