OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino says every winter, it's the same old story.
No matter how slushy or icy the roadways may be, some drivers always feel they can beat the conditions and rush to their destination.
The result, Fantino says, is a carnage on local roads and a real danger to everyone on the street. The solution, he says, is new legislation that would make drivers - not insurance companies -- accountable for accidents they cause during hazardous weather conditions.
"I don't call them accidents," he said. "We know that there's always a factor, usually a human dynamic."
This past weekend was no exception as thousands of accidents were reported to the Ontario Provincial Police. At one time, up to 30 cars were involved in a pile-up on Highway 400 Saturday because one person was driving "like an idiot," according to OPP Sgt. Dave Woodford, who was on duty at the time.
That person got into an accident that led to a chain reaction of collisions.
Fantino told reporters Monday at an afternoon news conference that he was up in Orillia during Friday's storm and was in disbelief at the "reckless" behaviour.
"I can not believe how many people were totally and absolutely reckless in their driving," he said.
In total, 1,303 accidents were reported in Orillia over the weekend.
A law targeting reckless drivers is already in place in many areas of the United States, Fantino said. He noted that the legislation would help officers do their job "more effectively."
Offenders can't always be charged under the current "careless driving" offence because there is a high burden of proof officers must meet to make the charge stick in court.
"This would be a charge that specifically speaks to people who don't keep with the conditions of the weather, not only in winter but in the fog, rain, whatever," he said. "These are measures that can hold people accountable where we don't have the evidence to charge them with careless driving."
The Ontario government has not formally responded to Fantino's request for an amendment to the current traffic laws.
Public Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci was unavailable for comment but his office said the ministry is not considering any changes to the Highway Traffic Act to reflect winter driving.
Fantino shot down criticism that he was overstepping his boundary as a police commissioner by acting like a politician proposing new legislation.
"It would be irresponsible for me not to speak about this issue," he said.
The offices of Premier Dalton McGuinty, Attorney General Chris Bentley, Transportation Minister Jim Bradley and Bartolucci all declined to answer questions about Fantino's actions.
According to OPP statistics, about 40 per cent of crashes on local highways are the result of someone driving too fast for the weather conditions or because they are not paying enough attention.
"People are not paying attention and we're finding that time and time again, we have to deal with this issue," he said.
With files from The Canadian Press
