Prepping for the storm

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The Ontario Provincial Police say they recorded over 500 crashes across the GTHA and surrounding areas in a span of 12 hours yesterday from 6am to 6pm. And besides the police, Collision Reporting Centre staff may be the next busiest group of people when the weather gets bad. Here’s how their day looks when Jack Frost strikes.

The City of Hamilton will have over 150 snow plows and 65 000 tons of salt at it’s disposal heading into this weekend’s forecasted storm. But even with all those tools, we all know the roads will be a mess, and crashes are more likely to happen.

Crashes where no one is hurt are brought to the downtown Collision Reporting Centre.

“The office gets approximately 450-500 walk in citizens a month.”

As a whole, the city records about 1000 crashes a month. Branch manager Peter Martin says that number soars during the winter-weather months.

While technology helps navigate the influx in crashes, Martin says only a person can help mediate frustrated winter drivers.

“We find the most conflict is when two people arrive together and you have a difference of opinions on how that collision took place.”

So before the weather gets really bad how do you make sure you don’t end up at the Collision Centre?

Martin says take the time to clear all your windows, get snow tires if you can and of course “slow down, its better to be slow and be safe than to be fast and be in a hurry and get into a collision.”