Reminder for drivers and boaters

Ontario Provincial Police will be keeping a watchful eye on the roads this long weekend.

They are looking for impaired and aggressive drivers, vehicles whose occupants are not buckled up and drivers using cellphones that are not hands-free.

The OPP laid over 7 thousand charges on Canada Day weekend. More than 43 hundred of those were for speeding offences.

On that same weekend, provincial police say 16 people died on Ontario highways, trails and waterways.

Those statistics have the Lifesaving Society reminding people that most drownings are preventable.

Spokesperson Barb Byers suggests advises wearing a life jacket, staying away from alcohol while boating, and being aware of the conditions.

Byers says 80 percent of drowning victims in this country are men. That's double the number of women who drown.

She says the other high-risk group is children under five.

They are drawn to water and can drown in as little as 20 seconds.

The office of Ontario's chief coroner announced today there will be a review of all drownings in the province from May, June, July and August.

Dr. Bert Lauwers says they will find out if there are common factors and make recommendations to help prevent similar deaths in the future.