Two-thousand traffic fines laid in Ontario this weekend

September 4, 2006

2,000 charges had been laid province-wide in Ontario for highway traffic act offences over the Labour Day weekend. More than 100 charges for people not wearing seatbelts. 17 drivers have been charged with impaired driving, 17 others received 12-hour suspensions.

Remnants of tropical storm Ernesto in southern Ontario could have caused accidents. OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley said on Sunday that about 130 crashes could be attributed to "people going too fast in the rain and hydroplaning."

Students heading to college residences posed another problem. Improperly secured desks, futon frames and even a refrigerator were found on provincial highways.

"About 200 unsafe vehicles taken off the road this weekend, some with no brakes, bald tires, wheels ready to separate, that sort of thing," said OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley. "And also drunk drivers continue to be arrested, continue to be in crashes and Labour Day has traditionally been deadly and that's what we found this weekend."