680News traffic

A number of years ago I was involved in a minor rear-ender where I was the one at fault. It was one of those awful, winter snow storms on that bad stretch of Highway 401 in the Port Hope area.

I was cresting a hill and saw that traffic ahead of me had come to a sudden stop. I slammed on my brakes, but to no avail. So I tried to pull off to the shoulder and almost made it, but not quite, just nicking the vehicle in front of me and breaking their tail light. My car had suffered no visible damage. 

I was just shaking when I got out of my car. Vehicles were littering the ditches and there were several accidents up ahead. According to one of the motorists who had been involved in one of the other accidents, the police were tied up at a fatality in which a vehicle had slid through a stop sign. There was little chance that they would be able to come and attend to the many minor accidents on this particular stretch of highway anytime soon.

Having never been in a situation like this before, I didn’t know what to do. Now; however, I am much more prepared.

The first thing to do in a situation like this is, if possible and if safe to do so, is to get your vehicle off the road.

Next, call the police. The main police services number is 416-808-2222. They will be able to tell you if a police presence is required. There are other criteria besides simple vehicular damage (for example, if there is an injury or if there is damage to private, municipal or highway property) that warrants a police presence.

If it is determined that a police presence is not required, but the total damage to the vehicles involved is over $1,000, then police services can also direct you to the nearest collision reporting centre (CRC).  You then have 24 hours to report to a CRC so your vehicle can be inspected by either an OPP or Metro officer, and a police report can then be filed.

It is also really important that you exchange information with the drivers of all vehicles involved. Get their names, addresses, phone numbers, insurance companies, etc.  If this information is not forthcoming, then make sure that no matter what, you at least get the vehicle license plate number.

Just a note here: if you are planning to go to a CRC and your vehicle needs to be towed you have to, by law,  have it towed directly to a CRC first so the police can inspect it and write the report, before you take it to a garage to have it fixed.

When you do show up at a CRC, don’t forget to have all your documentation with you: your driver’s licence, ownership, insurance, etc.

As a traffic reporter I see them every day, especially this time of year. I am talking about those minor “fender benders” as they are often referred to. But even if there is no visible damage to warrant a call to police or a visit to a collision reporting centre, one should not assume that all is well.

One day I was sitting in my car at a traffic light when…wham…I was hit from behind. The driver got out of her car and came up to my window. She was obviously shaken and was apologizing profusely. We pulled over so I could assess the damage.

After looking at what appeared to be a few minor scrapes and scratches on my bumper, the driver offered to pay out of pocket for the repairs. I declined. I told her the damage was minimal and not to worry, stating that my car had obviously seen better days and a few more scratches would simply add to the character.

We hugged each other, wished each other well and that was the end of it … or so I thought.

Later that day, as my neck began to stiffen, I thought that maybe I had been a bit too
hasty in thinking all was well. Then I went to open the rear door of my van. It was jammed. I breathed a sigh of relief when I finally got it open, only to discover that I couldn’t close it.

According to my mechanic, the SUV that hit me was bigger than my van, had ridden over my bumper and had hit my rear door. “Did you get her name and number?” he asked. “No,” I replied sheepishly. “How about her license plate number then?” “No.” I said. He looked at me in disbelief and said “It’s okay to be nice, just don’t be too nice”

Point taken. In any traffic altercation, no matter how minor, always make sure you get some sort of contact information because all may seem fine, but you never know.

Welcome to winter in Ontario — over the last few weeks, the temperature at times has dipped to well below freezing. Getting up in the morning is hard enough, never mind having to face a cold car.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a remote car starter? Just a few hundred dollars and voila, you can stay in your warm cozy house while your car heats up outside. Then, when you are ready, your car is toasty warm and your car windows are nice and clear.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?  But wait — there are a few things to consider before rushing out to make that purchase.

First of all,  if your garage is part of the house, it could be very dangerous to start your car remotely without the garage door being open. An idling car generates carbon monoxide, which can easily creep into your living quarters.

Secondly, most people believe that idling your car and warming it up is good for the engine. That’s not necessarily the case. The truth is that excessive idling can actually damage some engine parts and even reduce the life of your exhaust system.

And remember, the engine isn’t the only component of your vehicle. Other parts, such as the transmission and tires, also need to be warmed up, and the only way to do that is to get the vehicle moving. Today’s electronically controlled engines allow you to drive away after only 30 seconds of idling, even on the coldest of winter days.

Probably the most powerful argument in favor of reduced idling is an economic one. In this day and age of rising fuel costs, unnecessary idling wastes fuel and wasted fuel is wasted money. Idling your car for 10 minutes a day can use up around 100 litres of fuel a year! Not to mention all the contaminants that are being released into the air.

Don’t forget about the Toronto idling bylaw. You are not allowed to idle your vehicle for more than three minutes each hour if the temperature is between 5C and 27C. Although there are no demerit points attached, there is a hefty $130 fine.

My old car had a remote starter so I know how convenient they can be, especially since I have to be on the road by 4 a.m. My new car doesn’t have one, and surprisingly enough, I don’t miss it. Because my car is a newer model, I don’t have trouble starting it in cold weather and it seems to warm up quite quickly. 

The few cold minutes I do spend in my car each morning are offset by the fact that I know I am not wasting fuel, I am not needlessly polluting the air and I am not causing unnecessary wear and tear to my car components.