OPP lay 8,800 charges and respond to four fatal collisions over Thanksgiving Weekend

October 23, 2025 · 0 Comments

Written By Sam Odrowski

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Over the Thanksgiving long weekend, four people died in separate collisions on Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-patrolled roads during the Thanksgiving long weekend.

The OPP joined Canadian policing partners for Operation Impact, which ran from Oct. 10 to 13.

The campaign focused on education and enforcement of impaired driving from alcohol, drugs, fatigue, aggressive driving and distracted driving. The use of seat belts and child seats was another area of focus. As these are the main causes of death in Canadian roadways, they were the primary focus for Operation Impact.

“The OPP’s commitment to keeping roads safe was reflected in the more than 8,800 traffic charges they laid across the province throughout the weekend,” reads a statement from the OPP. “Officers worked around the clock, targeting road behaviours that continue to result in serious consequences for drivers and passengers of all ages every year.”

During Opeartion Impact, 4,518 speeding tickets were issued, which account for over half of all driving offences over the Thanksgiving long weekend.

Racing/stunt driving charges yielded 158 charges over the weekend, which is among the most aggressive and dangerous behaviours on Ontario roads, according to the OPP.

The OPP laid 170 impaired driving charges and 130 distracted driving charges were among the other dangerous offences motorists chose to commit.

“Some of the 377 seatbelt charges were laid against unbuckled passengers, serving as a reminder that they too need to do their part to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on our roads,” said the OPP.

The OPP responded to 244 fatal collisions, resulting in families collectively losing 279 loved ones, from Jan. 1 to Oct. 12 this yea. The OPP said of these 244 incidents, almost all of them were preventable.

“The OPP reminds drivers and passengers that traffic laws are designed to keep everyone safe, but are only effective if everyone complies with them at all times. The OPP thanks all road users who did their part to keep highways and roads safe and helped ensure everyone made it to and from their destinations on one of the busiest traffic weekends of the year,” said the OPP.