OPP

By Stew Kernan

Provincial police say traffic fatalities in OPP jurisdictions increased last year, but deaths due to the so-called Big Four causes were down.

Statistics released this week show 299 people were killed in 260 fatal collisions on OPP-patrolled roads last year, compared to 288 in 2014.

But police say while deaths due to alcohol or drugs, distraction, speed, and not wearing a seatbelt declined in 2015, the Big Four still accounted for the majority of the deaths…226.

Police also say last year marked the lowest number of alcohol or drug-related deaths in more than 10 years and the fewest of distracted-related road deaths since Ontario introduced distracted driving laws in 2009.