KAWARTHA LAKES-It was a tragic long weekend on Ontario roads and trails.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to four fatal collisions on and off the road over the Thanksgiving Long Weekend, which claimed the lives of five people.
Police say among the incidents was a double fatality collision involving a horse and buggy, in which two children lost their lives. Three other people were killed in separate collisions, one of which involved a teenager. A motorcyclist was among those who died, marking a particularly tragic year for motorcyclists, with 38 deaths this year compared to 23Â this time last year according to police.
Officers laid 6,246 traffic-related charges during the national, annual campaign called Operation Impact, targeting aggressive drivers, motorists under the influence of alcohol/drugs, inattentive drivers and road users who fail to wear a seat belt.
Aggressive driving led the list of offences, with 4,771 speeding charges laid. Motorists driving at dangerously high speeds continued to endanger the lives of other road users, with 159 racing/stunt driving charges laid.
Drivers engaged in other dangerous behaviours were also held to account, with 104 distracted driving and 92 alcohol/drug-impaired driving charges laid. Drivers and passengers who failed to wear a seat belt made up 144 of the offences.
Police say a total of 231 people have died on OPP-patrolled roads so far this year, a significant number of which were preventable and linked to the same poor behaviours as those observed over the long weekend.