‘Slow down, take it easy’: Toronto police warn drivers to be vigilant on slushy roads | CBC News

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Toronto drivers are being warned to go slow and plan ahead before travelling into snowy conditions, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say, after “a busy 24 hours” for emergency personnel.

Slippery road conditions have led to “around 220” collisions and 120 incidents of drivers requiring tow trucks or other assistance in the last day, said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt on Monday.

“These collisions are absolutely preventable. Drivers for the most part are going too fast, not paying attention,” said Schmidt. 

“A very rude awakening for many people who weren’t prepared for winter weather.”

While the highways are “not bad” and have been “driven clear,” Schmidt warns residents to be cautious on sidewalks and inner city roads that have yet to be cleared of snow and slush. 

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He says driving in winter weather “requires a new set of skills” that many residents don’t have much practice with. 

Schmidt recommends the following guidelines for drivers taking to the slushy streets this week:

• Clear any snow and ice off vehicles before driving. 
• Anticipate changing driving conditions.
• Go slow. 
• Leave extra space between other cars to slow down, stop or change lanes.
• Use your mirrors and full headlight systems. 
• Keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.

“It’s just a cautionary tale for everyone to slow down, take it easy,” he said. 

A winter ‘dress rehearsal’

Toronto saw up to 10 centimetres of snow Sunday, the highest same day record since 1937, said David Phillips, a retired climatologist.

Typically the city gets “a dusting of snow” in early November, he said, adding the first “significant” snowfall last year didn’t arrive until early December. 

But Phillips says the early snowfall doesn’t indicate what kind of winter Toronto has in store. 

“This is kind of a dress rehearsal, but it’s not necessarily an indicator that we’re going to be in for a brutal winter,” he said.

WATCH | Winter conditions didn’t hit until December last year:

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“Because next weekend we see … double digit temperatures and we’ll get more rain this week than snow. So this will disappear.”

According to Environment Canada’s website, temperatures are forecasted to warm up as snowfall on Monday transitions into rain through the week. 

The weather event Sunday allowed Toronto to test new measures being implemented after last winter, said Paul Johnson, the city manager. 

Those measures include having more staff and surge crews available during weather events, proactive snow removal and improved coordination across different parts of the city. 

“While this event wasn’t large-scale and certainly didn’t test us as last February did, it’s a great test for us to see how things are working this weekend,” he said. 

Johnson said the city’s PlowTO map, which shows where snow plows are operating in real-time, won’t be operational until later in the winter season. 

The website should be functional with “the next dump of snow” after it’s been updated with new snow routes, he said.