First sign of winter proved to be problematic for motorists in the GTA
Even though warnings were issued in anticipation of Thursday night’s weather many motorists in the GTA still found themselves in spots of trouble. Thanks to the drastic change in weather, Toronto Police reported responding to 63 collisions over a 12-hour period in the city and surrounding area. 45 of those accidents reported property damage, and 18 of then reported personal injuries. The majority of the collisions happened in the northern parts of the city near the 401.
Temperatures dropped to around -8°C late Thursday night/early Friday morning, and felt more like -16°C with the wind-chill. Flurries also made an appearance in the GTA, while many other areas experienced significant snowfall.
"We ended up with essentially a flash freeze-type situation, where there was ice on the roadways and obviously it led to some collisions," said Const. Clint Stibbe. "But we need to keep in mind that it wasn't ice causing collisions, it was driver error."
Const. Stibbe attributes over-reliance on driving technology to many of the incidents.
"Quite honestly we've seen some cases where individuals don't actually know what to do. The reality is, you still have to know how to respond when the vehicle starts to act a certain way."
"Just take a breath. Slow it down. Because when the weather changes, you have to change your driving habits as well,” Const. Stibbe went on to say.
The OPP also warned drivers to take their time and stay safe out there on the roads.
"Most of the time, the collisions we experience are single-vehicle collisions, drivers taking on ramps and off ramps too fast or possibly following too close," said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, with the OPP's highway safety division. "It really comes down the driver being alert and attentive."