Road carnage – when’s it going to end?

They say bad things happen in three but we’re beyond three and still counting when it comes to recent truck crashes on major GTA highways caused by four-wheelers.
Yesterday a cement truck rolled over on Hwy. 427, closing the well-travelled road for most of the afternoon. The driver remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries. Media reports say a Volkswagen Jetta driver caused the accident by trying to change lanes where there was no room to do so.
That marks the second time in a week that Hwy. 27 was closed in one direction following an accident. Just days earlier, a gravel truck rolled over when a man in a BMW reportedly lost control and ran into the truck.
On the 401 near Salem in Ajax, a man is lucky to be survived after he lost control of his SUV while speeding in the middle of the night. His vehicle reportedly crossed three lanes and smashed into the back of a tractor-trailer, erupting into flames. The eastbound lanes were still closed the next morning when I drove to work and I saw the remnants of the Hyundai Tuscon – a hunk of twisted black metal was all that remained.
We all know by now of the accident on Hwy. 400 that claimed the life of trucker David Virgoe. He was hailed as a hero for taking evasive actions which saved the lives of drivers in oncoming vehicles.
Despite these well-publicized accidents, four-wheelers continue to drive way too fast and with reckless abandon. I have yet to see a stepped up police presence on our highways. Let’s hope drivers begin to understand that speeding and weaving in and out of traffic is not worth the risk. Until these drivers come to realize there will be consequences for their actions, however, no change is likely to take place. In the meantime, remember to wear your seatbelt and be careful out there.

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James Menzies is editor of Today's Trucking. He has been covering the Canadian trucking industry for more than 20 years and holds a CDL. Reach him at james@newcom.ca or follow him on Twitter at @JamesMenzies.


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