Winter is a dangerous season for Canadian drivers. Canada’s snowy and icy roadways make serious accidents an all too common occurrence during the coldest months. On New Year’s Day alone, over 20 storm-related accidents were reported on highways near Toronto and critics are questioning how these accidents could have been prevented.
Both road maintenance companies and the Canadian government are being blamed by critics for a failure to clear roads in a timely and effective manner. The high number of accidents in Peel and Halton on New Year’s Day prompted an investigation of the company Carillion Canada, which holds 40% of Ontario’s road maintenance business. The Ministry of Transportation is looking into the timing of salt spreaders as well as how much salt was applied. This is not the first time Carillion has been criticized: it is still fighting $900,000 in fines from 2014 for applying ineffective amounts of salt to the roads and for waiting too long to clear snow and ice.
Unfortunately for Canadian drivers, Carillion is not the only company being scrutinized. According to Ontario’s auditor-general, it is becoming common practice for private road maintenance companies to reduce the amount of salt and de-icing products they use to keep roads clear and protect drivers from poor winter conditions.
Other critics point to the government as a large part of the problem, mentioning that they intentionally decreased road maintenance contractor requirements years ago in order to save money, resulting in dangerous winter road conditions. The Ontario auditor general confirmed that the government has begun spending less to maintain winter roads, and that because of reduced spending, it takes two times as long to clear snow and ice from highways. It was also found that the government awarded contracts to companies that did not have sufficient equipment to properly clear roadways.
You can find out more about these issues by clicking here to read a full article about issues with winter road maintenance.
Regardless of who is at fault, it’s crucial that drivers do everything they can to stay safe on the road and use caution while driving in harsh conditions. Although the government is striving to improve winter roads, drivers cannot be too safe. Paying attention, driving more slowly in snowy and icy conditions, and keeping a safe distance from other vehicles are important ways you can protect yourself. If conditions are extreme, avoiding driving may be the safest bet.
Even if you take steps to protect yourself from accidents, during frigid Canadian winters there is always the chance that an accident will occur. If you are involved in an accident and believe that a road was improperly cleared, it is important to seek advice promptly. A car accident or personal injury lawyer can help advise you of your rights and how you can receive benefits for your injuries. Click here to contact a car accident lawyer.
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