Young men dying in car crashes at alarmingly high rate in Mississauga, Brampton: police
Published April 25, 2024 at 11:45 am
Young men are being killed in car crashes in Mississauga and Brampton at an alarmingly high rate, say police who are pleading with drivers to take better care on the roads.
So far in 2024, eight of the 11 deaths in numerous traffic collisions investigated by Peel Regional Police were men between the ages of 19 and 29, police said in a public safety notice posted to social media today.
Acting Sgt. Sarah Patten said in the video notice posted to X the 11 road deaths is the “highest number of road fatalities we have seen in a four-month period since the beginning of 2020.”
That eight young men died in those collisions, most if not all of which crash investigators believe were preventable, is of significant concern to police.
“This pattern is consistent with other data collected regarding fatal collisions showing disproportionately high fatality rates for young males,” Patten said in the minute-long video.
“Any death on our roads is tragic. We are urging everyone, especially the younger male drivers, to take the necessary steps to protect themselves from this type of tragedy.”
Videos
Peel Regional Police Acting Sgt. Sarah Patten says too many people, especially young men, are dying in car crashes. (Photo: Peel Regional Police video)
Police say road deaths are preventable if drivers pay more attention to doing the right things when they get behind the wheel.
“Don’t speed, drive aggressively, drive distracted or drive impaired,” Patten cautioned. “These driving behaviours expose everyone on our roads to greater risk and can have tragic results for our community.”
Illegal street racing and stunt driving in Mississauga, Brampton and across the GTA have been on the significant rise in recent years and police have stepped up efforts to curtail the dangerous behaviour.
In a recent incident, a Mississauga man was charged in an alleged street race in which two occupants of a speeding car were killed when their vehicle slammed into a hydro pole on April 4 at Dixie Road and Eglinton Avenue.
Meanwhile, City of Mississauga officials who’ve long pushed for safer driving habits via their Vision Zero program took to social media today to remind people not to drive while distracted.
“Drivers who drive distracted are more likely to be in a collision or near-collision compared with non-distracted drivers,” they said in a post to X. “Stay focused on the road. Deal with distractions before you leave or after you stop.”
The city has implemented a number of road safety initiatives under the Vision Zero banner. Vision Zero, an international effort that seeks to eliminate traffic-related serious injuries and deaths, was adopted by Mississauga in 2018.
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