The Canada day long weekend is  upon us and as people take to the highways and byways of Ontario to make the most of their holiday, they can expect to see the OPP out in force also.

Thursday marks the start of the OPP’s long weekend safety Blitz when officers will be focusing on cracking down on distracted and impaired driving, speeding, and lack of seatbelt use — deemed the “Big 4” causes of death on OPP-patrolled roads.

 The force said speed-related deaths hit a six-year high last year, and more than 40 per cent of traffic offences were related to speed, while 8 people died on OPP patrolled roads over the Canada Day long weekend in 2018.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt is urging drivers to slow down and put the phone down and never ever drive drunk or high.