OPP says fatal transport truck collisions are up

Ontario Provincial Police say fatal transport truck collisions are up in all but two of the force’s six regions this year.

The OPP says officers have responded to 33 transport truck-related collisions so far this year.

That marks a 37.5 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

41 people have died in those crashes.

OPP say they’ve investigated more than 3,600 transport truck-related collisions – 11 per cent of the total number of collisions so far this year.

The force also says it has spent close to 4,300 hours on transport truck inspections and taken 658 vehicles off the road.

These troubling statistics come as the OPP prepare for its “Operation Safe Trucking” campaign.

“We continue to work diligently with our road safety and trucking industry partners toward our goal of reducing the number of transport truck collisions on our roads,” said OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes.

“Despite our efforts, it takes a firm commitment to safe driving on the part of all transport truck drivers and other motorists in order to see a significant reduction in these types of collisions.”

The campaign runs from July 15 to July 21.