PICKLE LAKE – NEWS – OPP Inspector Karl Duewel, Detachment Commander OPP Sioux Lookout Cluster says, “As we enter the winter road season, I would like to remind the public that we have lots of families travelling in and out of the northern communities and we want everyone to arrive at their locations safely.”
Officers from the Pickle Lake Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment are conducting a traffic safety initiative that will be in effect until the closure of the seasonal ice roads.
Seasonal ice roads are currently operational through most of Northern Ontario, and officers from the Pickle Lake OPP are noticing an increase in both commercial motor vehicles and passenger vehicle traffic traveling through their community. In response, officers will be focusing policing efforts on traffic enforcement to uphold public safety on local roadways, including highways and ice roads.
Distracted driving, excessive speed, misuse of seatbelts, and impaired driving – also known as ‘the big four’, have been identified as the leading causes of death or injury on OPP-patrolled roadways. Officers will be on the lookout for these traffic safety concerns, as well as proper vehicle equipment and maintenance, which is essential for the safety of drivers traveling into more remote locations.
Officers will be out patrolling local roadways. Members of the public are also encouraged to contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-800-310-1122 if they observe a driver operating a motor vehicle in a dangerous manner, be it a passenger vehicle, commercial motor vehicle, or snowmobile.