First major snowfall sees more than 340 collisions in southwestern Ontario
It doesn't matter how big and bulky the vehicle you drive is or whether you have the best snow tires in the market, wintery conditions could make even the most vigilant driver lose control, provincial police warn.
"Please adjust your driving, please slow down and please give yourself that extra time," said Const. Ed Sanchuk in a video posted to Twitter Thursday.
"I'm seeing people driving in these weather conditions like it's 90 degrees out and sunny," he added.
Provincial police are driving home the safety message after the first major snowfall on Thursday saw more than 340 collisions in a four hour timeframe in southwestern Ontario.
There were more than 24 collisions reported along Middlesex County roadways since 2 p.m. They occurred in the areas of London, Middlsex Centre and Strathroy mainly along the 400 series.
"You can have the safest vehicle in the world but if it's being operated in a dangerous manner, then you're going to find yourself in trouble," said Middlesex County OPP Const. Max Gomez.
There were no major injuries to report.
Safety message
Gomez said drivers should be better prepared for slippery winter driving conditions.
"It seems like motorists across the affected area forgot how to drive in the winter. The winter shouldn't catch us by surprise," he said.
"We're not driving according to road and weather conditions. We need to slow down, get used to winter driving again and hopefully that can save us in future storms," he added.
Gomez warns if one driver loses control in slippery conditions, it means that'll most likely impact other surrounding drivers. He reminded people that reckless driving could result in fines and charges.
Meanwhile, Environment Canada officials have warned over copious amounts of snowfall that could result in dangerous driving conditions. The snow is set to taper off on Friday.
