In a worrying trend in recent weeks, there has been a surge in fatalities and injuries from crashes on major motorways and secondary roads.
Now, safety advocates and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are urging caution for the coming winter.
“It does happen every year, especially when the weather changes,” said RCMP Corporal Chris Marshall.
In Nova Scotia, four people have died in crashes over the past two weeks, along with several life-threatening and non-life-threatening injuries to the driver and passengers.
Drivers often don’t adjust their speed to what’s around them, Marshall said.
“December is typically the month of staff gatherings and the start of the Christmas season,” Marshall said, adding that the cause of the recent accident was still under investigation.
For drivers on non-dual-lane motorways, extra caution was vital driving style, he said.
“Securing traffic in the opposite direction and making sure you know what they’re doing in case someone inadvertently crosses the centerline,” Marshall said.
It’s not just in Nova Scotia, either.
On November 17, a 77-year-old woman was killed in a crash on Highway 2 in Siegas, New Brunswick.
A 37-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man were killed in a three-vehicle collision on Highway 11 in Beresford on November 25.
A 35-year-old man was killed in a car crash on Big Cove Road, Elsibogtog, on November 27.
On Dec. 1, a 33-year-old man was killed in a crash on Highway 111 in Jeffries Corner.
A 73-year-old woman was killed in a double-vehicle crash on Highway 11 in Pokemouche on Saturday.
Road safety advocate Bruce Hetherington (Bruce Hetherington) regretted that he was not surprised.
“No, I’m not,” said Hetherington. “Cars are going so fast, people are not careful.”
Hetherington’s son was killed in a car accident in 2008. He has since called for highways to be built in Nova Scotia.
However, according to Hetherington, these recent accidents should serve as a wake-up call. Having dual highways is only part of the solution.
“If you don’t slow down and play it safe, other accidents will happen,” said Hetherington, who fears more casualties on marine roads and motorways in the future.
