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 Today, both have been replaced by distracted driving.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
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.