ORILLIA, ON–The Ontario Provincial Police will be paying special attention to trucks Thursday and Friday of this week as part of the annual Operation Corridor campaign.  

An OPP statement says that between 2102 and 16 there were 1,342 fatal motor vehicle collisions on OPP-patrolled roads and 20% or 266 involved transport trucks, with 330 people dying. According to OPP data, 44 of the crash victims were truck drivers. 

The OPP says damaged axles, blown tires or detached wheels, faulty brakes, defective hitches and unsecured loads are just some of the many factors in truck-related crashes. Between July 2014 and June 2017, 344 collisions involved defective transport trucks, six of which were fatal and 37 of which resulted in injuries. Even worse, the police say, non-secured loads or truck equipment flying into the path of other vehicles produced tragic consequences.

Serious crashes often result in hours-long highway closures and traffic delays as police carry out collision investigations and clear these large vehicles from the road.