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MTO & OPP join forces to keep Ontario highways safe

OPP News Release ********************* In its 14th year, the MTO OPP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Partnership continuing success has been the direct result of the dedication and commitment from both enforcement agencies, the officers who patrol the
OPP News Release

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In its 14th year, the MTO OPP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Partnership continuing success has been the direct result of the dedication and commitment from both enforcement agencies, the officers who patrol the highways and the high rate of commercial trucking industry compliance.

Over the next nine months, teams of MTO and OPP officers will continue to work together in Northeastern Ontario to provide increased levels of enforcement. This enforcement initiative is designed to target unsafe carriers and drivers who ignore our road safety laws. Officers will be looking for various safety-related defects such as brakes, steering and suspension components, tires and wheels, and insecure loads. Officers will continue to hold drivers accountable for their driving behaviour, with an emphasis on seatbelt compliance through education and strict enforcement.

Today there are over 256 thousand trucks and 31 thousand buses registered in Ontario, while thousands more from other jurisdictions also operate in our province. This represents almost 85 thousand truck and bus companies and over 569 thousand licensed commercial vehicle drivers.
Despite this growth in the commercial vehicle industry, less than 19 percent of those killed on Ontario roads in 2006 were killed in collisions involving large trucks.

“I am very proud of Ontario’s road safety record. Ontario continues to be a leader in road safety, not only in Canada, but in all of North America,” states Tony Foster, Director, Regional Operations Branch, Road User Safety Division Ministry of Transportation. “We consistently place among the safest jurisdictions in North America, and we are committed to ensuring it stays that way. Road safety partnerships such as this will help us to build upon our vision of having the safest roads in the world.”

It is estimated that over 1 million drivers and passengers still do not buckle up and those who fail to wear a seatbelt account for more than one-quarter of all drivers and passengers killed in motor vehicle collisions in Ontario. It’s a fact; wearing a seatbelt is the single most effective way to reduce your risk of injury or death in a motor vehicle collision.

“Through partnerships with the Ministry of Transportation, and the support of the commercial trucking industry itself, initiatives such as this will continue to have a positive impact on road safety in Northeastern Ontario and ultimately safe lives and reduce injury,” explains Chief Superintendent Scott Tod, OPP Regional Commander, North East Region.

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