MANITOULIN–What better way to welcome in a safe summer season and the Victoria Day Weekend than with the convergence of Canada Road Safety Week.
This year’s Canada Road Safety Week campaign runs from May 13-19, 2014. It is an enforcement-driven initiative designed to increase public compliance with safe driving measures. The goal is to save lives and reduce injuries on Canada’s highways by targeting the “Big Four” major causes of deaths and injuries on our roadways, specifically, aggressive driving, impaired driving (alcohol or drugs), failure to wear or improper use of seatbelts and distracted driving.
Officers from the Sudbury and Espanola Detachments of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be out in full force patrolling highways, waterways and trails to ensure the safety of Ontario’s residents and visitors this May long weekend.
Off-road vehicle (ORV) deaths have reached a four-year high and the causal factors have the OPP concerned heading into the Victoria Day Long Weekend. A total of 20 people died in ORV incidents in OPP jurisdiction during 2013, compared to 12 in 2012, 14 in 2011 and 17 in 2010. Of the 20 fatalities in 2013, 13 of them were attributed to lack of helmet use and nine of them involved alcohol consumption.
Driving an off-road vehicle under the influence of alcohol is a criminal matter that can result in the loss of licence, heavy fines and/or jail sentences. The Off-Road Vehicle Act of Ontario specifies that an operator must wear a helmet unless the vehicle is driven on property owned by the person driving the vehicle. Any use of off-road vehicles on Crown Land trails or commercial trails requires the rider to wear a helmet with the chinstrap fastened. Operators who do not wear their helmets are at a much higher risk of serious injury or death in the event of a collision.
The use of proper approved helmets, riding in a safe and responsible manner and avoiding unpredictable terrain will minimize risks and ensure that enthusiasts continue to have access to trails.
The OPP is committed to having a sustained presence on Ontario’s trails. Riders are reminded to carry vehicle registration and insurance documents at all times and have an off-road vehicle plate affixed to the machine. Play safe, play sober and respect private property.
“Our traffic safety goal is to have a fatality-free Victoria Day long weekend,” says Sudbury OPP Detachment Commander, Staff Sgt. Garry Mills.
Officers are also concerned for the early season boaters and anglers. Don’t be fooled by the warming weather, the frigid waters pose a real danger. Expect the unexpected and always wear a lifejacket or PFD.
