Deadly crashes on Highway 6 prompt calls for change

The increasing number of crashes on a portion of Highway 6 prompted a one-day safety blitz that saw officers lay 190 charges on drivers.

Matthew Cover takes the highway every day for work from his home in Caledonia to Hamilton. He’s always been fearful of the drive but it was only after a father and son from his community were killed on the highway a few weeks ago that he decided to take action.

“I didn’t know them personally but myself, I didn’t want my family to get that notice that I’ve been killed or any one else for that matter,” said Cover.

Fifty-five-year-old Donald Edwards and his 18-year-old son, Spencer Edwards, were killed in a head-on crash on Highway 6 at Concession 11 at the end of October.

Covers hopes his petition on change.org will put pressure on the Ministry of Transportation for more centre line rumble strips. There are portions of the highway that do not have any.

OPP says over the last few years there has been an increase in car crashes on the portion of the highway between the 403 and Wellington County. Police conducted a safety blitz and laid nearly 190 charges in the daylight hours including speeding, distracted driving and unfit commercial vehicles.

Covers says police are doing all they can to keep the road safe. He believes the problems on Highway 6 have everything to do with the roads themselves.

The Ministry of Transportation says they support the OPP’s efforts to target unsafe driving and are looking into expanding Highway 6 and 401 between Hamilton and Guelph.