Labour Day weekend fatalities down, number of charges up
Posted September 8, 2011 3:48 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – The number of deaths on provincial roads, waterways and trails over the Labour Day weekend may have dropped by more than half versus last year, but officials from the OPP say the number of charges laid was up significantly.
Officials say three people were killed over the long weekend, down from a total of eight in 2010.
While Sgt. Dave Woodford agrees the reduction is a step in the right direction, he says too many people are still putting their safety, and the safety of others, on the line.
“People are still breaking the law, they’re on their phones, they’re drinking and driving, they’re not wearing they’re seatbelts, they’re speeding,” Woodford said.
The total number of cars on the road didn’t seem to match previous years, according to Woodford, who says the reduced death rate could potentially be because more people stayed home to get ready for school.
“We didn’t see the heavy, bumper-to-bumper flow that we normally see on our long weekends,” Woodford said.
There were approximately 6,500 speeding or distracted tickets handed out over the Labour Day weekend, a total of about 500 more than last year
Police laid a total of 91 street-racing charges, up from 64 in 2010, and a total of 120 drivers were arrested for impaired driving.
