Provincial police say 239 people have died so far this year on Ontario Provincial Police-patrolled roads.
Officials say close to half of the deaths can be attributed to drivers who were speeding, inattentive, impaired by alcohol or drugs, or were not wearing a seatbelt.
Police say the poor actions are known as the “big four.”
Between 2018 and 2022, they accounted for 946 deaths – more than half of the deaths in that period – that “were completely preventable,” according to police.
“We just need drivers to really understand how important it is for them to share the road, obey the speed limits, drive sober, keep their full attention on the roads, know what’s going on around them, and buckle up,” says Sgt. Kerry Schmidt ahead of the Labour Day long weekend.
With students preparing to head back to class next week, police are asking drivers to be especially cautious when driving near school buses, crosswalks, school crossings, and in school zones.
With files from Casey Kenny