OPP to be out in full force this long weekend

The North West Region Ontario Provincial Police will use all available manpower on the roads, waterways and trails of Ontario to make sure Ontario motorists, boaters and ATV riders are safe over the Labour Day weekend, the last long weekend of the summer.
“Many families will be returning home from cottages and other vacation spots while thousands of others will be on the roads this weekend to take advantage of the last long weekend of summer,” OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino said. “Our goal is to ensure every one of them gets to their destination and home again safely.”
To date in 2008, 199 people have been killed in 174 crashes, compared to 293 fatalities in 251 crashes in 2007. That’s the equivalent of 98 lives being saved. Alcohol-related fatalities are down 43.9 percent over the same period last year while speed-related deaths are down 40.7 percent to 57 from 113 in 2007. Fatalities where no seatbelt was a factor are down 42 per cent over the same period last year.
In North West Region on Labour Day weekend in 2007, 529 charges were laid by OPP officers: 384 speeding charges, 25 seatbelt charges, 6 Impaired Driving charges, and 7 12-hour suspensions.
OPP marine units will be out in full force. There has not been a Labour Day weekend marine fatality on lakes and rivers the OPP patrols since 2003. Boaters are reminded that they face the same penalties for impaired boating as they do for impaired driving. Personal flotation devices are of no use if you’re not wearing them. The same goes for seatbelts in motor vehicles. Buckle up!
Last year, OPP uniform personnel put in more than 5,000 hours over the Labour Day Weekend to patrol highways, waterways and trails across the province.
This year officers will put in at least as many hours as last Labour Day weekend. We will be relentless in our efforts to target excessive speed, stop aggressive driving and those who would drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol. Our goal is to ensure everyone has a safe holiday weekend.