This is an editorial that should not have to be written. Last week, The Leader reported on charges laid relating to a fatal multiple-vehicle collision on County Road 31. Six drivers were charged by Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police. The charges were not due to their direct involvement in the collision, that investigation remains ongoing. In fact, the charges were for driving around road-closure barricades, driving on roads closed due to the collision, and in one instance, a driver moving cones out of the way at the collision scene to drive through it!
CR 31 was closed for eight hours while police investigated the collision, and while the scene was cleaned up. We do not know the extent of the damage from the collision, but considering one person died as a result of injuries sustained in the collision, there was debris and other things to deal with. And police do have to investigate collisions, which does take time and resources. If this was an isolated incident, of vehicles going around barriers to avoid a long detour, that would be one thing—but it is not.
This is a regular occurrence—drivers ignoring emergency closures, speed reductions, construction barriers, and even event road closure barriers. On a weekly and ever-increasing basis, there are police reports released to the media about these dumb actions—and frankly they are just that—dumb!
It should not have to be explained that emergency road closures are put in place for a reason. Many times, closures are due to an emergency, and at all times they are for safety. Closures may be inconvenient to drivers, but are a necessity and must be respected.
We know from talking to local community organizers that even local groups that have municipal-issued road closures have had issues with people driving around barriers and onto a closed road. In one instance, a driver went around one barrier, drove down and across the corner of a soccer field, and back up to the street to continue their journey. Only volunteers were around at the time—thankfully, no children.
The Leader, or any media outlet, should not have to write an editorial to explain this. It is part of the Highway Traffic Act—section 134, subsection 3, to be exact. Drivers learn this along with all the other rules of the road before getting their licences. For the CR 31 charges, luckily, none of those responding to the collision were injured by those who drove where they shouldn’t have.
The message should be clear and easy for everyone to follow. Respect the barriers, respect road closures, do not drive around road closures.
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