Thanksgiving weekend ‘particularly tragic’ on roads and trails: OPP

Police called it a “particularly tragic” long Thanksgiving weekend on streets patrolled by Ontario Provincial Police.

A total of seven vehicle occupants, a pedestrian and three off-road vehicle drivers were killed over the long weekend.

“In addition to the fatalities, road user safety was jeopardized on highways and roads by thousands of unsafe drivers during one of the busiest weekends of the year,” an OPP news release said.

Police also say aggressive drivers posed the biggest risk on the roads, with officers issuing 4,902 speeding charges and 133 stunting/racing charges.

Police also found 388 seat belt law violations and impaired driving resulted in 163 Criminal Code charges, while 85 fines were issued for distracted driving.

The OPP laid 8,870 traffic-related charges across the province during the four-day Operation Impact campaign (October 11-14, 2024).