Nine vehicle fatalities reported in Essex County this year: OPP

Essex County OPP say two people have died after a three-vehicle collision between Leamington and Wheatley, Ont., on Friday, March 18, 2022. (Sanjay Maru / CTV Windsor)

OPP are releasing statistics on vehicle fatalities in the region ahead of Canada Road Safety Week.

Essex County OPP has responded to six fatal collisions so far this year, resulting in nine fatalities.

There were eight fatal collisions in all of 2021, resulting in 12 fatalities.

Canada Road Safety Week is led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and runs from May 17 to 23.

On a provincial level, police say poor and careless driving behaviours have contributed to the majority of the 107 fatalities on OPP-patrolled roads so far this year.

“It's a motor vehicle fatality rate the OPP has not seen in 10 years,” states a news release from OPP.

Not since 2012 has the number of people killed in road collisions reached the 100 mark by the second week of May.

OPP say these driving behaviours stand out in this year's preventable road deaths:

• Fatalities linked to driver inattention are up 79 per cent over this time last year, with the loss of 25 lives to date. There were 14 such deaths last year at this time.
• Alcohol/drug-related fatalities are also up, with the 15 people killed marking a 36 per cent increase over last year's 11 deaths at this time.
• Twenty seven (27) speed-related fatalities are not far off last year's mark and continue to take the greatest toll among the poor driving behaviours.
• With 15 seat belt-related deaths marking a slight increase over last year, unsafe drivers as well as passengers (and drivers) who don't buckle up are setting the stage for an exceptionally tragic year on OPP-patrolled roads.

During the annual Canada Road Safety Week campaign, the OPP will join national policing partners to conduct robust enforcement/education around inattentive/distracted driving, speeding and other aggressive driving, alcohol/drug impaired driving, seatbelt compliance and other risky road behaviours.

The motoring public is encouraged to adopt and maintain safe road behaviours that align with this year's campaign theme "Safer You. Safer Me."