More than 300 charges laid in Thanksgiving long weekend police road safety blitz in Caledon
Published October 12, 2023 at 9:20 am
Police were out in force on Ontario roads and highways over the Thanksgiving long weekend and laid more than 300 charges in Caledon alone.
Sgt. Kerry Schmidt with the OPP Highway Safety Division said officers across the country took part in Operation Impact over the weekend, cracking down on what he called “the big four” – aggressive driving, distracted driving, impaired driving, and people not wearing their seatbelt or safety equipment.
The OPP says Operation Impact netted a total of 252 traffic stops in Caledon with some 316 charges laid, including 109 speeding and 43 seatbelt infractions. The OPP says some 185 stunting charges were also issued last week across the province.
The safety blitz followed a deadly Thanksgiving long weekend in 2022 that saw seven people killed in collisions in Ontario.
As of Monday, the OPP said some 289 people have died in road collisions this year with 66 of those killed in a speed-related crash.
“We don’t want to see those kinds of numbers continue to increase,” Schmidt said in a video release.
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Despite an increased police presence, there were still several serious crashes in Peel over the long weekend including three major collisions that led to the closure of Highway 410 on the border of Mississauga and Brampton.
And while Operation Impact may have wrapped for the year, police are still urging drivers to slow down on Ontario roads heading into the colder months.
7 people died over the 2022 Thanksgiving long weekend in traffic collisions. While you enjoy the colors this #Thanksgiving, please drive in a manner so these colours are not behind you. 🚔#OperationImpact2023 ^ks pic.twitter.com/jrIQVAtk53
— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) October 6, 2023
