TORONTO, Ont. – A 24-hour provincial safety blitz by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Ministry of Transportation resulted in about 700 charges against commercial drivers, mostly due to driver behavior.

The charges, contends the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), highlight the fact that most commercial driver violations are related to driver behavior, with mechanical fitness a factor in less than 2% of collisions involving trucks.

“Targeted enforcement on issues such as speeding, distracted driving, hours-of-service and other areas known to cause collisions is a positive use of limited police resources,” said Stephen Laskowski, president and CEO of the OTA. “The majority of truck drivers are professionals who follow the law every day. Initiatives like Operation Corridor help focus attention to the drivers who need it, while leaving law-abiding drivers to conduct their daily business.”

Charges laid during Operation Corridor include:

Speeding: 226

Equipment issues: 176

Seatbelts: 107

Speed limiters: 38

Hours of Service: 31

Distracted driving: 28

Hazardous moving violations: 30

Following too close: 18

Laskowski said speed limiter and hours-of-service enforcement violations uncovered during blitzes such as Operation Corridor should prompt continued focus on certain carriers through facility audits.