OPP say road fatalities headed for 10-year high
There have been more than 107 fatalities on Ontario Provincial Police patrolled roads so far this year.
It's the first time since 2012 that the number of people killed in road collisions in the province reached 100 by the second week of May.
Just in northeastern Ontario, 20 people have died as a result of 16 different crashes, OPP Sgt. Carlo Berardi told CTV News in an email.
"We’re actually up 100 per cent from this time last year -- we’re at 20 fatalities already, which is very disappointing,” said OPP Staff Sgt. Tyler Croxall about the northeastern statistics in an interview.
Croxall said poor driving behaviours have been behind many of the crashes.
Joel Quenville has been a driving instructor in Sudbury for more than three decades. In that time, Quenville has seen distracted driving become more deadly than impaired driving.
"In the 34 years that I’ve been teaching, cars have been getting safer and safer but the accidents haven’t been going down," he said.
"It's an attitude that we have to try to change and that’s what I try to do in the class -- try to change the attitude."
For years, impaired driving was the No. 1 killer, followed by drowsiness. Today, both have been replaced by distracted driving.
"I’ve told students that the fine is like $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, (but) the kids… don’t seem to think it's that serious," Quenville said.
"It’s a way of life -- sometimes they say that."
Two driving behaviours stand out in this year's road deaths. Fatalities linked to driver inattention are up 79 per cent compared to 2021. In total, 25 lives have been lost to date, compared to 14 last year.
Alcohol/drug-related fatalities are also up, with the 15 people killed compared to 11 deaths at this time in 2021.
Since this is Canada Road Safety Week, drivers should expect more enforcement on the province's roadways.
"Including the long weekend in particular, there will be additional enforcement there will be additional vehicle stops," said Croxall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.