There were dozens of collisions on roads in Grey Bruce during the unexpected Halloween snowfall.
Grey Bruce OPP say they responded to 26 collisions over a 29-hour period between Tuesday and this morning.
OPP say between 6:30 a.m. and 9:45 p.m. on October 31st, they responded to 13 vehicle collisions. Of those, police say four were related to deer and four of the collisions were road or weather related.
This morning between about 5:30 and 11, Grey Bruce OPP responded to 13 more collisions. They say at least six of those were weather or road related and one was with a deer.
OPP Constable Krista Linthorne says many of the other collisions were between two vehicles, and says drivers not driving according to road conditions may have been a factor.
South Bruce OPP, who patrol areas including Arran-Elderslie, Brockton and Kincardine say they responded to nine crashes between 3 p.m. on October 31, and about 7 a.m. on November 1st. OPP say there were no injuries reported at any of the scenes.
Meanwhile, in Saugeen Shores, town police posted to Facebook at about 4 Tuesday afternoon noting the snowfall had made roads slippery and warned people they may experience an inability to stop. At the time, they said they had responded to several collisions in the area.
Saugeen Shores Police closed a portion of Concession 10 Tuesday afternoon between Miramichi Bay and Highway 21 due to a collision.
They also closed Bruce County Road 17 between Bruce road 3 and Concession 8 due to a multi-vehicle collision. Police, EMS and firefighters all responded. It reopened just before 6 p.m. Police say there were no injuries in that collision.
Grey Bruce OPP say they want to share some winter driving tips:
- Have winter tires installed on your vehicle. Winter tires can improve traction in snow and icy conditions.
- Plan-ahead and check the weather and road conditions.
- Properly clean snow and ice from your windows, lights, mirrors and roof. This will assist with visibility and help avoid having ice and debris falling off your vehicle.
- Drive according to the conditions. Many collisions on our roadways occur because drivers are travelling too fast for the road conditions.
- Steer gently on curves and in slippery conditions. Hard braking, quick acceleration and sudden gear changes can cause you to skid.
- Give other vehicles room to stop. Leave adequate room between you and other vehicles.
- Have an emergency kit in your vehicle that includes warm clothing, a shovel, booster cables, high energy food, a flashlight, matches and a candle.
Police say, “If you see snow, go slow.”