Last year worst for truck crashes in more than a decade: OPP

Truckers in Ontario were doing more than just honking their horns in 2022. New statistics released by Ontario Provincial Police this week revealed that last year was the worst year in more than a decade for transport truck crashes on Ontario highways patrolled by the OPP.

The OPP said this means it will be ramping up education and enforcement together with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in a bid to address the unwelcome upward trend in transport collisions.

In 2022, the OPP responded to 9,110 collisions that involved a transport truck, marking the highest number of transport truck-related crashes on OPP-patrolled roads in more than 10 years, said a release from OPP headquarters in Orillia. 

"The incidents, which accounted for 12 per cent of overall collisions last year, resulted in 71 fatalities, the majority of which were preventable." said the release. 

Among some of the primary causes for collisions, said the OPP, were improper lane changes, following too closely and speeding. Police said this was not just the sins of truckers. 

Of the 2,858 OPP-laid charges in transport truck-involved collisions last year, 1,098 of them were issued to non-commercial (passenger vehicle) drivers (38 per cent) , with the balance (1,760) of the charges issued to commercial drivers (62 per cent), said the OPP release.

"The data serves as a reminder to all drivers of the importance of sharing the road safely when travelling in and around large commercial vehicles. These collisions not only result in significant fatalities, injuries and property damage every year, they often cause lengthy traffic delays and disruptions in the movement of goods that support our economy," said the release.

The OPP said that beginning July 9, it would be launching Operation Safe Driver, in partnership with the MTO and other road safety partners to conduct targeted enforcement aimed at all risky behaviours on the part of commercial and non-commercial drivers. 

Jointly, the OPP and MTO are counting on everyone to do their part to help reduce the number of collisions and fatalities by driving safely and complying with all traffic laws every day, throughout the year.

"Commercial drivers are reminded that 24/7 compliance with commercial vehicle safety requirements such as inspections, hours of service, secured cargo and the movement of dangerous goods is critical to keeping our roads safe," said the news release.