WELLINGTON COUNTY — Slow down. Drive sober. Wear your seat belt. Pay attention. They might be old rules but recent statistics show some drivers aren't following them.
According to a new year-end report from the Wellington County OPP, the "big four:" also known as speeding, impaired, distracted, and seat belts, continued to be the main cause of traffic-related charges in Wellington County in 2024.
Of those, seat belt violations saw the biggest increase – doubling from 316 to 633 in 2024, a number OPP Inspector Steve Thomas called "baffling" at an OPP Detachment Board committee meeting Wednesday morning.
Speeding incidents also increased from 3,418 to 4,311 in 2024 while distracted driving increased from 76 to 110- marking 26.1 per cent and 44.7 per cent increases.
"The one that's shocking to me is the increase in occupant restraint violations," said Thomas. "Seat belt legislation has been in place for a long, long time and yet we're still finding people out there that aren't using their occupant restraints."
When asked what factors contribute to drivers not following the "big four," Thomas said it's hard to know given most drivers are already familiar with these rules.
He later clarified officers enforcing the "big four" continues to be a priority in 2025 and he's hopeful it will lead to a reduction.
Overall motor vehicle collisions increased 11.7 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023, with 1,919 resulting in property damage only.
Of those, 11 were fatal; this represents a 44.4 per cent decrease in fatalities compared to 2023 which Thomas called "a good news story."
The "big four" were determined to be the main causes of these fatalities with distracted driving leading the way, followed by no seat belts.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
