If the latest traffic data is any indication of what lies ahead for the motoring public, the OPP is predicting that drivers have set the stage for another tragic year on the roads.
To date, the OPP has responded to 136 fatal collisions in which 150 people were killed. By comparison, there were 103 fatal road crashes and 125 lives lost at this time last year.
The current rise in fatalities follows a year that saw an already historically high number of deaths on OPP-patrolled roads, with 2022's 359 fatalities marking a 16-year high.
The first part of June 2023 revealed a particularly concerning trend on roads. From June 1 to 11, the OPP responded to 15 fatal collisions resulting in 18 fatalities, compared to four (4) fatal collisions and four (4) fatalities over the same 11-day period last year.
"What has not changed are the alarmingly poor and dangerous driving behaviours that consistently contribute to these road deaths such as speeding, careless driving, driver inattention, driver fatigue, alcohol/drug consumption and lack of seatbelt use," says an OPP release.
"Drivers are reminded that even one careless action behind the wheel is all it takes to cause a split-second, serious collision that ends a life and robs a family of a loved one under the worst and most unexpected circumstances - something that occurs to hundreds of families every year throughout Ontario."