Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are placing blame on motorists for fatal crashes and asking non-commercial vehicle drivers to do a better job of sharing the road with commercial vehicles.

Ahead of the upcoming Operation Safe Driver Week enforcement campaign taking place July 7 through 13, OPP issued a statement on the “grim picture of how commercial and non-commercial drivers have been sharing the road.”

According to police, nearly 20% of fatal crashes in Ontario so far this year involved commercial vehicles.

“Thirty-one people have died in road incidents. Eighty-six percent of the crashes were linked to poor behaviors on the part of non-commercial drivers. Commercial drivers were at-fault in the remaining 14 percent of the collisions,” OPP said.

Approximately 11% of overall (fatal and non-fatal) motor vehicle collisions investigated by the OPP this year involved at least one commercial vehicle.

Police say that speeding, following too closely, and improper passing are the causes of collisions involving commercial vehicles.

“Aggressive and careless drivers have no place on our roads, especially when sharing the road involves large commercial vehicles,” says Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique. “Tragically, many families again this year are paying a devastating price – the senseless, preventable loss of their loved ones – because of drivers who make a conscious decision to not share our roads safely.”

“Dangerous driving puts everyone at risk. Road safety is a shared responsibility and that’s why Operation Safe Driver Week is an important reminder to do your part – slow down, stay focused and follow the rules of the road,” says Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner.   

Operation Safe Driver Week is a North American traffic enforcement campaign targeting dangerous driving by passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle drivers.