OPP Safety Blitz continue on roads, waterways and trails

  It is the Victoria Day long weekend as well as the unofficial start to summer and cottage and camping season.

As many people maybe planning their long weekend get away trips, Brian Patterson from the Ontario Safety League told 680News that drivers need to slow down this long weekend.

“We’ve had 17 per cent reduction and fatalities because we significantly enforce speeding in this province. Some people will get tickets this weekend and it will wake them up!” said Patterson.

For people who will be heading to the cottage, Patterson suggests that they all do safety checks inside the cottage.

“Get those 9 volt batteries and make sure you got your Carbon monoxide detectors and your smoke detectors re-juiced at the cottage.

“They may have gone dead in December and you just weren’t there to hear the beep,” said Patterson.

The Ontario Provincial Police blitz continues this long weekend and Officers will not only be on the roads, but on the water as well.

Each year more than 100 people die in boating related incidents and each year Officials are reminding the 16-million boaters across the country about boat safety.

Sergeants Karen Harrington from the OPP Marine Unit told 680News that boaters need to take some time preparing before hitting the water.

“They need to check their equipment. They need to make sure their boat is safely operating. They need to go over it, don’t just jump in it and away you go.”

“Take the time to make sure that they are prepared,” said Harrington.

She said that boaters also need to have their pleasure craft operator cards with them.

Ted Rankine, a member of the Canadian Safe Boating Council, told 680News that there is one big message to all boaters, “Wear your life jacket!”

“A lot of people think, hey you know what, the weather is nice and I can swim. That water is still cold out there,” said Rankine

Both Harrington and Rankine advised people should not mix alcohol drinking and boating. Rankine suggests that people should also take a boating course.

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