Multi-Car Crashes and Tips on Bad Weather Driving

March 06, 2017, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Multi vehicle crashes thankfully are an uncommon occurrence on our city streets. Our highways are a different matter though. With the increased travel speeds and longer stopping distances, multi vehicle accidents close sections of the 400 series of highways regularly in Ontario.

We tend to see them occur during weather events, whether that is fog, snow, or on icy roads. Almost all of them are due to driver fault. People simply aren’t willing to drive to the conditions in which they find themselves. Many feel that if the speed is 100 they should be driving that fast. After all it’s the 401 and they are in a hurry. Too often, the drivers don’t heed police warnings to stay off the roads, or at the very least to slow down.

This last week we had an example of the situation when both east and westbound lanes of the 401 were closed for an extended period due to a 40-car collision. Police reported that around 1 a.m. the weather suddenly changed and drivers found themselves in winter conditions. The road was slippery, people were driving far to fast, and when they need to slow down they could not. Seven people were hospitalized in the accident, one with serious injuries.

These events become extremely difficult to handle for emergency services, and ultimately for the drivers themselves when the insurance companies attempt to sort out who is at fault for what accidents, and how the personal injury claims will be settled. For injured parties the complications continue into rehab costs, and dealing with any charges that may be laid by police, and subsequent legal battles.

Police remind people that they should stay off the roads when warnings are issued, and if they must head out on bad roads to slow down significantly. If bad weather suddenly appears while you are driving you should consider getting off the highway at the next exit and taking a break while the weather clears or the sanders and plows get on the roads making them safer.

Winter driving is a reality in southern Ontario and winter driving conditions can occur through easily occur from November - April. You can stay safer by following these tips:

• Keep your car in good winter shape, with quality wipers, washer fluid, and snow tires.
• Keep your fuel tank at least ½ full all the time to prevent condensation, or to allow you to idle for extended periods if required.
• Keep your phone charged in the car
• Carry water, food, blanket, shovel, matches and traction mats.
• Check the forecast before you leave on a trip. Delay if things don’t look good
• Check road conditions before leaving
• Track where roads have been plowed
• When driving slow down, don’t use cruise control on wet, snowy or icy roads
• Steer gently, don’t break suddenly
• If you lose control stop breaking, and look and steer where you want the car to go
• NEVER pass a snow plow
• Remember stopping distances can be 10x greater on bad roads

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

It is important that you review your accident benefit file with one of our experienced personal injury / car accident lawyers to ensure that you obtain access to all your benefits which include, but are limited to, things like physiotherapy, income replacement benefits, vocational retraining and home modifications.