OPP remind residents that Communication Centres are not intended for road condition calls

With winter related driving conditions approaching and for your safety, SD&G OPP is reminding the public not to call OPP Communication Centres for road conditions and closures. These calls tie up emergency lines. This is a time of year when the weather directly affects driving and road conditions.

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Long Sault - Nov. 7, 2011 - With winter related driving conditions approaching and for your safety, SD&G OPP is reminding the public not to call OPP Communication Centres for road conditions and closures. These calls tie up emergency lines.

This is a time of year when the weather directly affects driving and road conditions, resulting in a significantly larger volume of callers reporting motor vehicle collisions to the Communication Centres. These are emergency calls.

At the same time, OPP Communication Centres are being swamped with phone calls from people looking for general road condition information. OPP Communication Centre call takers have reported that some people are even dialling the 9-1-1 emergency only number to obtain information about road conditions. The public is reminded that these phone numbers are not intended for this use.

The public is asked to call the Ministry of Transportation province-wide toll-free inquiry line at 1-800-268-4686 to obtain information about road conditions and closures. You can also visit their website at www.mto.gov.on.ca.

Furthermore, cooler temperatures cause frost to form on vehicle windows. Please ensure your vehicle is fully defrosted (and clear of snow if the case) prior to departure for your destination. Driving while looking through a small opening on the windshield is not only dangerous, it’s against the law (Section 74-Highway Traffic Act-No clear view=$110.00 fine).

Safety on our roadways is everyone’s responsibility…be ready this coming winter!