The death toll on highways around the province is rising, according to numbers collected by the Ontario Provincial Police.
The number of people killed on roads patrolled by the OPP is approaching 300 for this year alone.
Five people were killed last weekend to raise the number to 292, an increase of 13 fatalities for the same time last year.
OPP Const. Cam Woolley told CTV News on Wednesday that many fatalities are preventable and unnecessary.
Woolley said there are three major reasons for fatalities on Ontario highways, which include:
- Speeding and aggressive driving
- Not wearing a seat belt
- Driving while impaired
Woolley urged motorists to take extra care in the coming weeks as a spike in traffic is expected on the province's highways next month.
"Traffic volumes are starting to creep up now with summer holidays coming to an end and we're seeing a lot of people going to college and university so there are a lot of moving trucks out there," Woolley said.
"Over the summer, a lot of houses and businesses have been built and they're all going to be occupied."
Woolley said motorists shouldn't hesitate to contact the OPP if they witness dangerous driving.
"Dangerous driving is a criminal offence. If you saw an assault or a robbery in progress you would call the police. So call us," Woolley said.
"We can't be everywhere at once, but usually if you call us we can try and get a cruiser to intercept the offender at some point along the trip."
In addition to highway fatalities, 18 people have died in marine incidents, compared to 24 at this point last year. There have also been 18 deaths involving all-terrain vehicles, up from 10 last year.
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With files from the Canadian Press
