Police across Ontario will be intently patrolling highways and major roads this Thanksgiving long weekend, targeting impaired driving, distracted driving and speeding.
OPP Highway Safety officers say there will be an increased police presence on provincial highways from Friday morning to Monday night.
They say fatalities on highways are down this year compared to 2014, related to three of four major categories — impaired driving, distracted driving and speeding — but deaths related to driving without a seatbelt are up this year.
Forty-five people have died on OPP-patrolled roads this year as a result of not wearing a seatbelt.
York Regional Police warn they will be ticketing motorists who speed, or fail to wear a seatbelt. They urge those planning to drink this weekend to use a taxicab or have a designated driver.
It’s the first Thanksgiving weekend since the Ontario government passed stiffer penalties for distracted driving, including a fine of up to $1,000 and three demerit points.
York Regional Police say distracted driving can include anything more than just glancing at a device with a screen. Eating, drinking, reading or reaching for something elsewhere in car can constitute distracted driving.
