Smarten up, folks. That may seem a tad blunt, but some people obviously need to be reminded that they have to use common sense, all the time.
We know that the time change and miserable weather necessitate a more cautious approach to activities such as driving and walking. If you know what is good for you, you will be shifting to fall and winter garments. You do not want to get sick and wind up in an overcrowded, germ-teeming emergency ward.
Authorities are constantly obliged to remind the masses that, in order to protect themselves and others from harm, they ought to be careful out there. Human behaviour is the cause of most mishaps. Too many people become ill because they do not heed public notices about the importance of immunization.
A disturbing trend has been red-flagged by Cornwall Fire Services. A November 2 fire that displaced 13 people was the sixth residential blaze in three weeks. Nobody was seriously injured but it was another case where several smoke alarms were not installed, were missing or did not function.
“The lack of working smoke alarms in the City of Cornwall needs to stop,” said Deputy Chief Leighton Woods. “Our fire crews continually encounter situations of missing or non-working smoke alarms. I challenge all City of Cornwall residents to ensure they have these life-saving devices installed, operational and regularly inspected.”
You ought to know that, by law, every home in Ontario must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. Failure to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements could result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals or $100,000 for corporations.
In rental properties, landlords are responsible for installing alarms, while tenants must notify landlords of any issues with the alarms. Residents also need to ensure all exits are clear to ensure everyone can safely exit in case of a fire.
The fire department also advises people to install carbon monoxide alarms in their homes. If you only install one, locate it near sleeping areas. Any other alarms should be placed in or close to fuel-burning appliances, which should be regularly maintained.
Speaking of regular maintenance, scores of people love to walk in order to stay in shape, clear the head, enjoy nature and provide exercise for their pets. But, please, pedestrians, be as visible as possible. Remember that it gets dark at around 4:30 p.m. these days. It Is difficult for a motorist to pick out a pedestrian wearing dark clothing while walking a black dog. Reflective clothing and a flashlight can help pedestrians stand out, and avoid becoming a sad casualty.
casualties? Pedestrians (plural)..???
There are already enough grim figures about road mishaps. The Ontario Provincial Police reports that the number of people killed in highway accidents rose from 369 in 2022 to 411 in 2023.
City traffic can be brutal. Yet clogged arteries are less lethal than scenic routes.
More than half – 55 per cent – of fatal crashes occur on rural roads, despite the fact that only 17 per cent of Ontarians live in rural areas and rural car crashes represent only 25 per cent of all traffic collisions.
I’m not clear on this statistic. Can we discuss? More than half are on rural roads but rural car crashes represent only 25% of all traffic collisions?
Speed, alcohol, drugs and inattention are the prime causes of driver-related fatal collisions. Last year, 66 of the 411 victims were not wearing seatbelts.
But, the nature of back roads is also a factor in making Ontario’s rural roads disproportionately more dangerous than urban routes.
That is why area municipalities are joining the movement calling for the Ontario government to invest more in country road improvements. The Ontario Good Roads Association is lobbying for more provincial money to upgrade routes that are older, in poorer condition and have less safety infrastructure than city streets. Rural concessions are not as well lit and are more crooked than urban throughways.
Rural drivers have to cope with potential hazards that would not crop up on Highway 401 or 417. Hills, curves, deer, turkeys, raccoons, skunks, slow-moving farm machinery, potholes and loose gravel can all make a drive in the country tricky.
Single lane roads can test your patience, particularly if you are stuck behind a school bus, a tractor or a fully loaded manure spreader. Keep in mind that passing on narrow roads is always risky.
Space tends to affect driver behaviour, in a bad sense. You can come across reckless motorists drivers anywhere, but they tend to be more prevalent on country roads. The wide open landscapes and the lack of traffic give some drivers a false sense of security so they assume they do not have to fret about a collision. In the country, you are bound to be annoyed by a speeder or a tailgater.
But stress levels will drop if you manage to steer clear of the yahoos and breathe through the nose. Try it.
Of course, with the thermometer dropping, ice, snow and black ice will soon be problematic. Country roads are notorious for snow drifts, which have become even more troublesome because of deforestation across Eastern Ontario. Clear-cutting has eliminated hectares of trees and shrubs that acted as natural snow fences and provided habitat for forest creatures. Now governments spend large sums of money trying to reduce drifting.
So, enough of the doom and gloom.
We are going to encounter risks all the time. But by using common sense, and some valuable life-saving devices, we can make our world a lot less dangerous.
Let us know what you think at rmahoney@seawaynews.media
