The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) recently issued a release that revealed that about one in five road crashes that occur in the region involve large commercial vehicles.
The release comes as the police force launches its annual Operation Corridor – a 24hr enforcement and education initiative that hopes to encourage all Ontario-based commercial vehicle drivers to keep the roads safe.
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“A lot can go wrong when large commercial transport trucks are not driven safely or have unsecure loads and defective equipment,” said OPP Chief Superintendent Chuck Cox, Highway Safety Division commander.
“Our data shows that the outcome for other vehicle occupants involved in transport truck-related collisions is often fatal and catastrophic. For this reason, Operation Corridor is an important campaign to ensure transport truck drivers are safely operating and diligently maintaining their rigs at all times.”
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According to data from the police, of the 1,342 fatal motor vehicle collisions on OPP-patrolled roads between 2012 and 2016, 266 involved transport trucks. In the same period, 330 people perished – most of which were occupants of other involved vehicles. The data also revealed that 44% of the crash victims were transport truck drivers.
More recent data from the police found that over the past three years, a considerable number of collisions were caused by transport trucks in poor operating condition. In the period between July 2014 and June 2017, 344 collisions involved defective transport trucks – six of which were fatal and 37 of which resulted in injuries.
“Damaged axles, blown tires or detached wheels, faulty brakes, defective hitches and unsecured loads are just some of the many factors in truck-related crashes. At times, unsecured loads or truck equipment flying into the path of other vehicles produced tragic consequences,” the police release noted.
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