OPP urges safer driving ahead of Canada Road Safety Week

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Newsroom, May 13, 2025

As Canada Road Safety Week kicks off (May 13–19), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) deliver a sobering reminder: most fatal crashes on OPP-patrolled roads last year were completely preventable.

In 2024, 382 people lost their lives in collisions on roads patrolled by the OPP. Among the 344 fatal crashes, speeding contributed to 95 deaths, inattentive driving to 80, and alcohol and/or drug use to 53.

Seatbelt use, or the lack thereof, also remains a deadly issue. Sixty people who died in crashes were not wearing a seatbelt—highlighting that what some view as a “personal choice” can have life-or-death consequences.

Notably, 2024 also saw the highest number of motorcyclist deaths on OPP-patrolled roads in two decades, with 57 fatalities. Of those, 18 motorcyclists were not at fault. Pedestrians (35) and cyclists (12) also accounted for a troubling portion of the year’s road deaths, many of whom died through no fault of their own.

So far in 2025, the trend continues with 99 lives lost in just 86 fatal collisions.

Canada Road Safety Week is one of the year’s most intensive enforcement and education campaigns. It targets the “Big Four” contributing factors to road deaths: speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, and lack of seatbelt use.

The OPP, in partnership with other police services across the country, is stepping up efforts to prevent more lives from being lost—especially with the busy Victoria Day long weekend approaching.

As the weather warms and more families hit the roads, the message is clear: slow down, stay focused, stay sober, and buckle up.