OPP advise of safety on the water, the roads, and the trails

MARINE PATROLS ENCOURAGE BOATING SAFETY
 
(SOUTHERN BRUCE COUNTY, ON) - This weekend, residents and visitors, alike, will be enjoying the Victoria Day long weekend and the return of summer. Pleasure craft of all shapes and sizes will be out on the waters of Lake Huron, and smaller, inland, bodies of water. 

The South Bruce OPP will be out patrolling to prevent offences and encourage safety on the water. Follow these safety tips each time you leave the dock, to enhance your safety:
 

• Life jackets. A proper-sized life jacket is required for each person on board. 
• Competent operator. Take a boating safety course and always carry your operator card with you.
• Check and monitor the Marine Weather Forecast. Conditions can change quickly, particularly on larger bodies of water.
• Sail plan. Let someone know your planned route and estimated time of return. Time is of the essence in an emergency, it can make the difference between a rescue and a recovery. 
• Safety Equipment. Required by law, requirements vary by type of vessel and size. Ensure you have the proper equipment on board each time you sail; it won't help you if it's left on the dock.
• Charts and compass. Be aware of local hazards, water levels, tides, and know where you are at all times.
• Fuel tank. One-third to go, one-third to return, one-third in reserve.
• Boat condition. Check the hull, hoses, lines, clamps and the battery. Regular maintenance reduces the risk of a break down on the water.
• Leave the beer on the pier. Boaters caught drinking and boating in Ontario face similar consequences to drinking and driving on dry land. This includes power boats, canoes, kayaks, sail boats and personal watercraft.

 
Anyone interested in more information on boating safety can check online at www.boatingsafety.gc.ca.

WHO IS MORE VULNERABLE -- MOTORCYCLISTS OR OFF-ROADERS?  

OPP launches STAR project         
     
(ORILLIA, ON) - As numerous motorcyclists and off-road vehicle enthusiasts plan to hit roads and trails during the Victoria Day weekend, the OPP is pointing out trends that can make these seasonal drivers vulnerable to fatal collisions.      
 
According to OPP traffic data, a significant number of motorcyclists continue to be killed in collisions that are no fault of their own.
 
In 2016, 10 of the 28 motorcycle drivers killed on OPP-patrolled roads were reportedly not at fault in the crashes that claimed their lives. The previous year painted an even grimmer picture for safe motorcycle drivers, with more than half (14) of the 27 who died in road crashes in 2015 reportedly being not at fault.
 
In contrast, OPP data reveals a significant number of off-road vehicle (ORV) drivers who continue to contribute to their own demise, with the majority of deaths being directly linked to alcohol/drug impairment and riding without a helmet.
 
Alcohol/drug impairment was a factor in more than half (13) of the 22 ORV deaths that occurred in OPP jurisdictions last year. While there were fewer ORV fatalities in 2015, six of the 14 deaths that year were attributed to an alcohol/drug-impaired ORV driver.   
 
Further stacking the odds of survival against ORV riders is driving without a helmet. Of the 22 riders who died in incidents last year, nine were not wearing a helmet. Helmets were even scarcer in 2015 incidents, with almost half (six) of the 14 deceased riders found without one.
 
The OPP is reminding all drivers, on- and off-road, that driving defensively and safely will go a long way toward reducing deaths on Ontario roads and trails. 

"This is the time of year when drivers need to keep a watchful eye out for motorcycles," says deputy commissioner Brad Blair, provincial commander, OPP Traffic Safety and Operational Support. "Motorcyclists must always drive safely, defensively, and assume that other drivers cannot see them - an all-too-familiar claim in motorcycles crashes. Off-road vehicle drivers have unique vulnerabilities too, but the majority who die are their own worst enemy through poor behaviours, such as riding while alcohol- or drug-impaired and without a helmet."

"This long weekend, remember that dangerous driving poses a serious risk to motorcyclists and off-road vehicles," says Marie-France Lalonde, Ontario minister of community services and correctional services. "We all have a shared responsibility to follow the rules of the road and to operate any motor vehicle safely. Be safe, and don't become a statistic."

Day-to-day policing ‎does not come without inherent risks, and in an attempt to curb suspect apprehension pursuits, the OPP is also launching this long weekend, the Satellite Technology Apprehension Response (STAR) Pilot Project.  

Three marked front-line OPP patrol vehicles have been equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) projectile launching mechanism. When a motorist fails to stop for the OPP, a GPS projectile, once deployed by one of these vehicles, attaches to ‎the suspect vehicle and a GPS signal is sent that allows the vehicle to be safely tracked, in real time, by one of the OPP's provincial communications centres.

This will allow officers to be constantly updated on the location and whereabouts of the offender and to safely move in and make an arrest, eliminating the need to engage in a suspect apprehension pursuit (see the link to the mp4 file below in Helpful Links)
 
DID YOU KNOW?  
 

• On July 1, 2015, the Government of Ontario implemented new changes that affect ORV and ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) riders.
•  
• Some types of ORVs and ATVs can travel on certain provincial highways and municipal roads.

 
Click here for more info:
 
Drive an ATV
 
HELPFUL LINKS
 
Motorcycle Safety Courses
 
Smart Ride Safe Ride
 
Tips for Young ATV Riders

opp.ca/files/starchase.mp4