OTA joins the fight to end aggressive driving in the province

by Truck News

>TORONTO, Ont. — The Ontario Trucking Association announced today that it is joining the battle against aggressive driving.

This announcement was made as the Ontario Provincial Police launched a new road safety campaign designed to target aggressive car, bus and truck drivers who tailgate, speed and make unsafe road decisions. The OPP plans to charge violators. The OTA says it is a strong and vocal supporter of this in order to enhance road safety.  

Although it’s unfortunate a few operators still need the enforcement community to remind them how to conduct themselves on the highway, most trucking operators lead by example of how road users should operate their vehicles safely and abide by the Highway Traffic Act, said Stephen Laskowski, president of the OTA.

“Like most enforcement programs, these campaigns are designed to change the behavior of the 1 per cent of our industry who need the law enforcement community to tell them the right thing to do. The vast majority of trucking fleets use driver training programs, management systems and technology to ensure that professionals entrusted to drive their vehicles are operating in the safest manner possible,” he said.

OTA adds that as a result of the association’s lobbying efforts 10 years ago, all trucks weighing 26,000 lbs or more operating in the province are required to use an electronic speed limiter set to a maximum speed of 105 km/h. The measure has helped improve highway traffic safety since it was introduced.

“Trucks are the heartbeat of Ontario’s economy. Every day, over 200,000 professional truck operators who share the road with the public deliver goods safely to consumers and adhere to the laws of Ontario,” says Laskowski. “Those who don’t act responsibly are a tiny minority who do a disservice to the hard-working, committed men and women in our industry.” 


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