(Photo credit: greyman/RGBstock.com)
With vehicles travelling at fast speeds on the highway, losing visibility affects a driver’s ability to adapt to unexpected situations. Whenever the weather outside is dicey, drivers need to adapt accordingly since it makes a difference as to whether you arrive home safely.
This winter, a number of accidents occurred on Highway 401.
Near the end of 2014, a 39-year-old woman died from a single-vehicle collision near Milton. The Kitchener woman was travelling westbound on Hwy. 401 in the early afternoon when her vehicle drove into a ditch and hit some trees on the north side of the highway. The OPP told the Toronto Star they were unsure why the car left the road, but the chance of a vehicle rolling into a ditch is more likely while travelling on rural highways. There’s also a greater chance of a rollover and it’s important that all passengers wear their seatbelts and drive according to posted speed limits.
At the beginning of 2015, there was a multi-vehicle pileup on Hwy. 401’s eastbound lane near Kingston, due to slippery roadways. It was speculated that about 75 vehicles were involved in the pileup, which shut down the section of the highway for about five hours since tow trucks needed to help clear the damaged vehicles. On New Year’s Day, some areas of the highway had snow of up to 15 cm and visibility was low for many drivers. If wind is affecting visibility, drivers should turn on their vehicle’s headlights, so others are aware of the vehicle’s location. Drivers should also slow down when there’s poor visibility on the roads, especially with the possibility of black ice accumulating on highways due to fluctuating weather conditions. When travelling at a high speed, your reaction to unexpected situations has a large effect on your safety.
In early February, a man was charged with impaired driving causing death. During the accident, a tractor trailer struck a jeep, which had lost control. The tractor-trailer flipped over from the impact and its driver was pronounced dead at the scene, according to CBC News. All westbound lanes of Hwy. 401 near Whitby were closed overnight and heavy equipment was called to clean up the crash scene.
Whether there’s ice or snow, make sure you leave extra time to reach your destination when driving during the winter. Drivers also need to be alert at all times and driving while fatigued or impaired by alcohol or drugs is dangerous to yourself and everyone around you.
Motor vehicle accidents happen and accident benefits are available to anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident regardless of who caused the accident. The personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have been dealing with all accident related issues throughout Ontario for over 45 years. We know how to get you the compensation that you deserve and get your life back in order after being in a car accident. Call us at 416-920-4242, set up a free consultation, and come speak with us.
Greg Neinstein
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