Police are sounding the alarm about fatal collisions involving transport trucks and the causes behind them.
Almost 20 per cent of fatal collisions in OPP jurisdictions this year have involved transport trucks, and “the data paints a grim picture of how commercial and non-commercial drivers have been sharing the road,” police said in a news release.
Thirty-one people have died, and 86 per cent of the crashes were linked to poor driving behaviour by non-commercial drivers. Commercial drivers were at fault in the other 14 per cent. The main causes of collisions involving transport trucks are speeding, following too closely, and improper passing.
The OPP and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) are teaming up for Operation Safe Driver Week. Officers will be watching for commercial and non-commercial vehicle drivers “engaging in risky behaviours.” The OPP and the MTO will also be taking steps to ensure commercial drivers are keeping their vehicles, equipment, loads and records up to the standards required by law.
“Aggressive and careless drivers have no place on our roads, especially when sharing the road involves large commercial vehicles. Tragically, many families again this year are paying a devastating price — the senseless, preventable loss of their loved ones — because of drivers who make a conscious decision to not share our roads safely,” said OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique.
Quick facts
- Transport truck-involved collisions account for about 11 per cent of overall motor vehicle collisions investigated by the OPP this year.
- In 2023, 8,622 of the 77,076 collisions investigated by the OPP involved commercial vehicles.
- Operation Safe Driver Week is led by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and runs from July 7 to 13.
