OPP Report

OPP winter road safety campaign

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers are conducting a traffic safety initiative that will be in effect until the closure of the seasonal ice roads. 
Seasonal ice roads are beginning to open through Northern Ontario, connecting 31 isolated First Nations communities to major highway networks. While these transportation networks are operational, there is a notable increase in both commercial motor vehicles and passenger vehicle traffic traveling on our northern roads.  
To ensure public safety, OPP officers from Pickle Lake, North Caribou Lake First Nation, and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation will be working with local partners to focus policing efforts on traffic enforcement on local roadways, including highways and ice roads. 
Distracted driving, excessive speed, misuse of seatbelts, and impaired driving - also known as ‘the big four’, have been identified as the leading causes of death or injury on OPP-patrolled roadways. Officers will be on the lookout for these traffic safety concerns, as well as proper vehicle equipment and maintenance, which is essential for the safety of drivers traveling into more remote locations. 
Officers would like to thank the many safe and professional CMV drivers who keep their vehicles mechanically fit and drive according to road and weather conditions, which in turn helps to ensure road safety for everyone.
While officers will be out patrolling northern roadways, members of the public are also encouraged to contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-800-310-1122 if they observe a driver operating a motor vehicle in a dangerous manner, be it a passenger vehicle, commercial motor vehicle, or snowmobile.  
For more information about safe and responsible driving, please visit www.opp.ca or the Ministry of Transportation’s website, https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook/safe-and-responsible-driving.