As the Pan Am games roared on in Toronto this past summer, the number of visitors to Toronto increased. So did traffic. Many drivers with more than two passenger skirted traffic by utilizing high occupancy vehicles or HOV lanes on many Toronto roads.
Not surprisingly, the number of collisions on roads with HOV lanes increased during this period.
Toronto Police Service says that collisions were up 73 percent. Police responded to 1,720 accidents on highways with HOV lanes.
“We knew that any time we make changes to the roadway, we anticipate that collisions will go up. But this is obviously a significant number,” Toronto police Sgt Devin Kealey says. “So we’re going to want to look at the reasons why.”
While making significant changes to a road may throw some drivers off guard and cause accidents, this uptick may not only be the result of adding a lane for people with passengers. Buses use HOV lanes, and sometimes drivers do not yield to the buses. Sometimes, drivers abuse the clearer pathways that HOV lanes often create. Drivers may be prone to speed, which is already dangerous on highways where people are driving at a rapid pace. Sometimes drivers may experience trouble merging into HOV lanes with heavy traffic, especially on highways.
Just because you are driving in a HOV lane with fewer vehicles does not mean you should speed or drive recklessly. Drivers in these lanes should be especially cautious, since they are transporting other individuals and are responsible for their safety.
Nevertheless, accidents do happen. If and when they do, please don’t hesitate to speak to a one of our personal injury lawyers by booking a free consultation or call 1-855-446-7765 for immediate assistance.
