Major MVC's Toronto today

[warrior420]

Was anyone listening today to the OPP during that storm this afternoon? Ive never heard that many accidents and 10+ car pile ups and pedestrians getting hit, 3 air ambulances, blood runs to the 400, buses being sent for people. It was ridiculous.

 

[yorkphotog]

Holy smokes! Talk about listening, I had to go to the scene.... and it wasn't easy!

It was unreal.. from the buses, blood runs, air, Toronto EMS; the sheer magnitude was insane. The radios worked quite well... I noticed that 1OPS38 was patched with York's special 1 for most of the day. Fire departments on scene were King, New Tecumseth, Adjala, Innisfil, Barrie, amongst others.

Once everything was organized, I was very happy with the emergency response.

 

[warrior420]

Yes the Emergency services did very well i thought as well. They were soo swamped I dont know how they did it, but good to know they can!! I really wish people would wake up and realize when its slippery and visibility is 4 feet you shouldnt be doing normal Hwy speeds and beyond ! I did notice i was unable to hear the York units respond that was patched in, only the dispatcher side of the convo, is this because i dont have status bit turned on for my 396?

 

[yorkphotog]

Agreed. What was amazing was when all of the responding EMS' switched to Georgian TAC 5 to acknowledge that they were responding. Must have been 25 ambulances on the radio saying that they were en route.

 

[jellotor]

I really wish people would wake up and realize when its slippery and visibility is 4 feet you shouldnt be doing normal Hwy speeds and beyond !

Common sense on Ontario's highways?!?!? It'll never happen...

 

[warrior420]

Common sense on Ontario's highways?!?!? It'll never happen...

LOL i know, i am amazed every time i drive. There is no shortage of them thats for sure

 

[conundrum]

I really wish people would wake up and realize when its slippery and visibility is 4 feet you shouldnt be doing normal Hwy speeds and beyond !

The problem today was that one moment the sky was clear with little snow on the ground and next thing they knew it was a whiteout, I witnesses it first hand a couple times today. But what you are saying is 100% true, they treat the highway the same whether it be raining, snowing, sunny or what not, its always the same speed, and reckless driving.

 

[EJB]

Every winter it is the same 'ol thing in regards to drivers.
It snows outside Toronto, we have squalls from Nov-April.
Despite this Like Graeme says GTA drivers cannot handle it.

 

[cpuerror]

I was driving through that white out. Just like conundrum said, it was perfect visiblility, then instantley went to almost 0 visibility for about 10 minutes, then just cleared right up. When it started I got off the 401 and followed the outline of a tractor trailor figuring it would just plow anything out of the way for me. Managed to make it through safely but that is more than what can be said for some motorists.

 

[warrior420]

I was on the 401 as well, seems it didnt get it as bad as the dvp or the 400 or durham region. Glad i was going nowhere north! If you watched CP24 last night Cam Wooley was on the phone saying "I dont buy the it came out of nowhere excuse because it was on the weather forcast of the morning" The police and Government are soo sick of stupid motorists killing people. They want to be able to charge people in single car crashes due to bad driving in bad weather as well in the near future.

 

[polkaroo]

Charge the idiots. Going around the roadblocks, I was driving with flashers and strobes up concession roads, first gear at 20-30km/h. I know if I hit the brakes, I'm sliding somewhere. The terrain up there is very hilly. But there were still people passing me at a good 50 clicks, going down the hills. That's scary. I'm not worried about MYSELF sliding out somewhere, I'm worried about the guy coming towards me, if he's going to slide out of control and head-on into my car.

Oh. And the guy tailgating me on Canal Road. He eventually got pissed and passed me, but unfortunately, he didn't end up in the river.

 

[warrior420]

I'm not worried about MYSELF sliding out somewhere, I'm worried about the guy coming towards me, if he's going to slide out of control and head-on into my car. .

I agree. It is sad.No one should have to lose their life over driving somewhere, especially innocent bystanders to idiots.

 

[va3mvw]

People driving too fast - yes, bad. But the problem can also be (and in chain crashes, often is) people who slow down too rapidly. In whiteout, if anyone hits their brakes and slows rapidly to a halt, chances are the guy behind also slows, but not as much - so then bang - and that is when the chain reaction starts. Sometimes these things are hard to avoid, unfortunately.

(before you ask: no, it has never happened to me - not defending myself or anything. No crashes for the last 25+ years).

 

[va3mvw]

"...last night Cam Wooley was on the phone saying "I dont buy the it came out of nowhere excuse because it was on the weather forcast of the morning"


Fine, so now not listening to the weather forecast is an "excuse". Come on now - do we really want to make it illegal not to listen to weather forecasts? Who of you listens to a weather forecast every single day before driving to work? As a weather watcher, I do, but I would not hold everyone to that standard. Sgt Woolley is engaging in woolley thinking. It can be nice and satisfying to blame others, but sometimes the truth is a tad more complicated.

 

[dic]

Has anyone considered running an online feed of the OPP (and maybe some of the Tornoto PD) in the GTA?

Having spent a couple of days in Toronto scanning recently, I know that I would be interested in listening.


Thanks
Dic

 

[EJB]

Has anyone considered running an online feed of the OPP (and maybe some of the Tornoto PD) in the GTA?

Having spent a couple of days in Toronto scanning recently, I know that I would be interested in listening.


Its looked down upon and potentially illegal to rebroadcast radio comms we hear.

The preferred moto here is discrete is elite.

 

[EJB]

"...last night Cam Wooley was on the phone saying "I dont buy the it came out of nowhere excuse because it was on the weather forcast of the morning"


Fine, so now not listening to the weather forecast is an "excuse". Come on now - do we really want to make it illegal not to listen to weather forecasts? Who of you listens to a weather forecast every single day before driving to work? As a weather watcher, I do, but I would not hold everyone to that standard. Sgt Woolley is engaging in woolley thinking. It can be nice and satisfying to blame others, but sometimes the truth is a tad more complicated.

Perhaps its time that the gov't make us aware of 'weather.'
Compass cameras & the traffic warning signs could certainly broadcast weather alerts i.e
indicate squalls ahead.
Cellphone also.

 

[polkaroo]

There is nothing to blame on the weather. Weather was there, is there, and will be there. Its us mere mortals who think we're gods. We may think we have the upper-hand, but, like Katrina, if nature wants to pop our ego balloon, pop it goes.

There's no one to blame but yourself. That's why they're called collisions, not accidents. The weather can be a cause. But YOU drove into it. Therefore it's YOUR fault. The government can put billions of dollars into alert systems, and I bet you the same collisions will occur.

Remember Air France? Everybody blamed it on the weather, etc. The official report can be summed up in two words - "pilot error."

 

[va3mvw]

Now now.. all those 100 people drove badly? No, sometimes accidents happen.

Air France was clearly not an accident. I am a pilot, I understand coming in fast and high and clearly the pilot should have done a go-around. I never thought "weather" was to blame there - weather accidents are almost always pilot error.

But snow squalls are not easy to deal with - one person slowing down too rapidly and bang, there everyone goes. Nothing you can do. An accident.

Yes, people drive badly sometimes. But accidents happen, too, sometimes. Always assigning blame is unjust and not helpful.

Now back to topic!

 

[jellotor]

It's no one's fault except those who drive in an unsafe manner in bad weather.

I both agree with Cam Woolley, with a caveat: even if weather takes you by surprise (which can happen) as a human being you should not only be clever enough to adapt by slowing down but also have a more finely honed sense of self-preservation.

Now, have we seen any charges against anyone from the accident on the 400? The police certainly have the discretionary powers to charge anyone involved with dangerous driving, following too close, speeding, etc. Proving that charge in court may be another matter.

I recall one snowstorm that closed several highways. Luckily, I was headed in an opposite direction but stopped to get gas and was hailed by a guy who wanted directions. He'd come across a police roadblock and was wondering if there was some 'back road' that could get him where he wanted to go.

I told him that if the police closed the highway the concessions and sideroads wouldn't likely be in any better shape. Exasperated, he wondered aloud how he was going to reach his destination. "Obviously," I replied, "you aren't. That's what happens when the police close the highways."

I had a good laugh at this guy's expense but his mindset is aggravating. Why put yourself and the cops, EMS, firefighters and plow operators at risk when you roll your car on a closed highway...just because you won't wait a day to get to your ski chalet?

But I digress.