Thursday night’s flurries proved to be a little too much for some Kingston drivers, as a number of crashes in the city were reported Friday morning.
“I’m not sure exactly how many collisions we’ve had in the past 24 hours, but we normally see an increase with inclement weather coming,” says Sgt. Steve Koopman, Traffic Safety Supervisor for Kingston Police.
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There was also a single-vehicle crash on Highway 401 Friday morning. Police say a transport truck jackknifed into the ditch at about 7:20 a.m. Friday morning.
“Our officers responded to Highway 401 westbound near the Odessa OnRoute for a tractor trailer that had gone off the road,” says Const. Curtis Dick, Media Relations Officer for Frontenac OPP.
“(The truck) basically covered both lanes of westbound traffic.”
The 401 was temporarily closed for some motorists’ morning commutes, but traffic was moving after the brief setback.
“The highway was closed for approximately one hour,” says Dick.
“Then it was just a matter of getting the vehicle removed.”
Poor weather conditions often lead to a spike in traffic incidents, which prompts reminders from local police about travelling during the winter.
“It’s the same-old-same-old, I’d love to give a different speech,” says Koopman.
“But people aren’t driving and adjusting their behaviour due to the weather, so you need to slow down, create time and distance, and make sure you have an emergency kit in your vehicle.”
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Contrary to some other Canadian provinces, winter tires are not mandatory in Ontario. But police do strongly recommend installing them on your vehicle.
“I myself have (winter tires), and you do see a large difference,” says Koopman.
According to Environment Canada, there is a snow squall warning in place for the region Friday night (Feb. 5). This could mean some significant snowfall and heavy winds for the Kingston area, and police are advising against travel.
“Given the circumstances we’re in provincially, with the lockdown, avoid travelling if you can,” says Dick.
“If you are travelling, give yourself lots of time.”