A new OPP initiative is rolling out on Northern Ontario highways this week, and the message is clear, saying preventable transport-truck collisions are killing too many people.
"It's to bring awareness to the public and also the officers so that they're on the lookout at all times during the year." says Constable Shona Camirand of the OPP in North Bay.
Police say there have been more than six-thousand transport related collisions reported so far this year, with over 80 fatalities, including one on Saturday in Sudbury and another on Monday near Espanola. Most of the problems are being caused by what the OPP calls the "big four" offences.
“Those would be: speeding and aggressive driving, impaired driving, seatbelts and distracted driving." says Constable Camirand.
She says officers are also looking for transport drivers who are following too closely, and according to a local truck driving instructor, this bad habit is a big problem.
"It's a habit that carries on from just driving personal vehicles, so we try to break them of that habit when they come here and try to teach them the proper spacing between vehicles that you're following." says truck driving instructor, Chris Heasman.
In fact, the OPP says there is regulation when it comes to just how much space a driver needs to leave when following another vehicle.
“If a commercial motor vehicle is driving over 60km/hour, the rule is, they have to be 60 meters behind the vehicle in front of them, unless they're overtaking or passing that vehicle." says Constable Camirand.
“Operation safe trucking" will continue until December 15th, and police are asking drivers who are passing areas where trucks have been pulled over by officers to slow down and take the other lane to keep everyone safe.
