Ontario Provincial Police are reminding drivers of the high number of fatalities so far this year, many of them preventable.
That is the message ahead of another long weekend, when more people are on the roads and travelling in Ontario.
Some 278 lives have been lost so far this year on OPP-patrolled roads, the provincial police said in a media release.
The OPP has responded to nearly 55,000 motor vehicle collisions so far this year.
As the OPP joins Canadian policing partners to keep roads safe during the annual Operation Impact campaign, drivers are reminded that safe behaviours and decisions behind the wheel are the single biggest factor in getting through the long weekend without more lives lost. Passengers who wear their seatbelt can also contribute to fewer road deaths.
Over and above a weekend with no collisions, OPP officers would like the weekend to pass without a single driver observed or charged with speeding, alcohol/drug-impaired driving, distracted driving or other risky behaviours that could deprive more families of their loved ones.
Officers are working around the clock on the Thanksgiving weekend and doing their part to keep roads safe through robust enforcement and education regarding traffic laws. A zero-fatality and zero-injury weekend that sees everyone arrive safely home from their Thanksgiving gatherings and other destinations is well within reach if every driver and other road user does their part.