**KIRKLAND LAKE OPP MEDIA RELEASE**

The Kirkland Lake Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding the motoring public about Operation Safe Trucking. This annual campaign focusses on enforcing rules of the road and moving violations, but specifically for Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV).

The OPP investigates thousands of preventable CMV collisions every year, making this a serious road safety issue. 

In 2015 and 2016, the OPP responded to a total of 13,668 collisions that involved a large commercial transport truck, in which 155 people lost their lives over the two-year period. Last year (2017) marked a ten-year high in fatal CMV collisions, with 91 people being killed in 76 collisions

So far this year (January 1 to July 9, 2018), the OPP has responded to more than 3,600 transport truck-related collisions; those numbers are up 38 per cent when compared to this time last year, Forty one (41) people have died in the crashes.

As part of the OPP’s commitment to saving lives on Ontario roads, the OPP has developed a CMV Collision Mitigation Strategy that aims to reduce the number of CMV-related collisions on OPP-patrolled roads and highways.

The OPP continues to collaborate with the many road safety partners who share our commitment to enhancing safety on our roads.

The Kirkland Lake OPP is reminding the public that officers will be focusing on violations such as: Follow too close, Speeding, Improper lane change, Distracted Driving, Improper Turns, Fail to Yield Right of Way, Improper Passing and Disobey Traffic Control. These violations are attributable to many CMV involved collisions and the OPP remind the public to drive carefully, so that everyone can make it home safely.