No injuries after vehicles break through thin ice
In the late afternoon on Sunday, March 13, members of the Manitoulin Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to two separate reports of vehicles breaking through ice on area lakes.
In the first incident, a 41-year-old Lively man drove his pickup truck on to the thin ice of Lake Wolsey, in Gordon Township. Approximately 400 metres from shore the vehicle broke through the ice, and eventually sunk.
In the second incident, a snowmobile and the male driver went through the ice approximately 30 metres from the shore of McGregor Bay. A second snowmobiler broke through as he tried to assist. Both men got out of the water and went to a nearby cottage.
Medical assistance was not required in either incident. The Ministry of the Environment has been notified.
With the mild temperatures on Manitoulin Island in the last two weeks, the OPP urges people to stay off the ice. Once the ice starts to melt, the thickness of the ice can vary greatly and it becomes difficult to determine if the ice is safe. Ice that has formed over flowing water, springs, pressure cracks, old ice holes or around the mouths of rivers and streams may be weaker. Ice can erode from the bottom up leaving you no obvious warning signs of weakness. Do not travel over ice-covered water in early and late winter when conditions are more dangerous.
Driver distraction still No. 1 factor in road deaths
With its annual distracted driving campaign this week (March 14-20), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) confirmed that 2015 marked the third consecutive year that driver distraction as a causal factor exceeded all other categories of road deaths on OPP-patrolled roads.
Last year, 69 people died in road crashes in which driver distraction was a factor, compared to 61 speed-related, 51 seat belt-related and 45 alcohol/drug-related deaths.
Numerous studies have been conducted on the risks associated with distracted driving–in particular, texting or talking on a cell phone while driving. Many of these studies have confirmed that this form of distracted driving is as dangerous as driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Heading into March Break, road users need to be aware of how serious a threat distracted drivers are to their safety. Each year for the past three years (2013-2015), OPP officers have laid approximately 20,000 distracted driving charges throughout the province, which is more than double the number of impaired driving charges they laid over the same three-year period.
Over and above cell phone use, the OPP continues to lay numerous charges every year against motorists whose driving ability is compromised by other distractions such as eating, self-grooming, tending to kids in the back seat to name a few.
“If you are texting, talking on your cell phone or pre-occupied with other activities while behind the wheel, you are not driving safely,” says J.V.N. (Vince) Hawkes, Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner. “It does not suffice to keep your eyes on the road. Driving involves sharing space with drivers, their passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians and it is impossible to do so safely unless your eyes and mind are solely focused on driving.”
The OPP is encouraging passengers of all ages to take a zero tolerance approach to distracted driving. Take charge of your own safety and speak up when you are in vehicle being driven by someone who is not paying attention to the road and is endangering your life.
