It’s been a bad year for transport truck-related deaths, according to the latest traffic data from Ontario Provincial Police.
OPP report there have been 25 fatal collisions involving a transport truck on OPP-patrolled roads so far this year — a 25 per cent increase compared to this time last year.
At this point in 2018, provincial police have responded to a total of 3,047 collisions related to commercial motor vehicles.
OPP said investigations into “a large number” of those collisions pointed to the truck driver being the “at-fault” driver.
Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair said poor driving behaviours and moving violations account for many crashes related to transport trucks every year.
He also noted “other dangerous habits” such as failures in vehicle maintenance and inspection, non-adherence to hours of service regulations, and unsecured loads.
This month, OPP will conduct an enforcement blitz on all major truck routes in the province.
Operation Corridor is an annual initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario.