By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—Highway 6 is one of the most dangerous stretches of roadway in Haldimand, but driver error is the biggest culprit. Distracted driving, alcohol, failure to wear seat belts, and speeding are the leading causes listed by the OPP in a study of serious collisions that took place on Highway 6 through Caledonia in 2018 and 2019.
“From January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019, there were a total of 166 collisions along Highway 6 from 600 metres north of St. Johns Road to Haldibrook Road,” stated Jodie Lucente, Communications Co-ordinator for the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) on the portion of Highway 6 within Haldimand County. “During this period, over 6,000,000 vehicles travelled this section of Highway 6.”
Of those 166 collisions, 10 resulted in fatalities. “Five were attributed to impaired driving, three were attributed to inattentive driving, and the condition of the driver was unknown in two,” said Lucente.
Lucente highlighted the importance of collaborating with law enforcement on this issue. “MTO shares information with the OPP, such as the results of speed studies and concerns raised by motorists. The ministry also asks the OPP to tell us about any concerns they notice while patrolling the highway.”
Memorial crosses such as this one are dotted along Highway 6 throughout Haldimand.
The OPP regularly monitors Highway 6 and set up a special initiative last year to directly address the high volume of collisions. “In 2019, we teamed up with other OPP detachments for the Safe on Six campaign from Port Dover to the Bruce Penninsula, which resulted in 166 speeding charges, six distracted driving charges, and three charges for failing to wear seatbelts,” said OPP Constable Rodney Leclair.
The OPP blitz is expected to take place again this year. Another measure often brought up is the implementation of rumble strips. Rumble strips are raised strips that run along the edge of a road or through the middle between lanes to alert drivers that they are about to cross into another lane.
“This summer, the MTO plans to install centreline rumble strips along the Highway 6 bypass around Caledonia and another section of Highway 6 south of Hagersville. Centreline rumble strips are effective in preventing certain types of collisions, such as crossovers and sideswipes,” said Lucente. “MTO will monitor the effectiveness of these strips and their noise impacts on nearby residents to determine if more should be installed along the highway.”
MPP Toby Barrett has his own take on the issue. “The two things that I’ve been promoting for a number of years, first as opposition, now as government, are a Hagersville bypass and the completion of the link from the new Caledonia bridge up to the Hamilton airport. The primary reason is road safety.”
Although there is not currently a concrete plan in place for where a bypass around Hagersville would be located, Barrett has long championed the idea of routing traffic around the town. “My perception, based on phone calls and emails we’ve received, they’re not around traffic accidents but more fatalities. There is a demand for action.”
“We’re very fortunate to have the Lake Erie industrial park and we’re very fortunate to have both a very well-run refinery and a very well-run steel mill that together employ a couple thousand people, but the truck traffic is phenomenal,” said Barrett. “We’re talking heavy trucks containing fuel and steel. That’s pretty heavy stuff. It’s a very good thing we have a short line railway and it’s a very good thing that we have the docks down there as well for shipping. But apart from the railway and the shipping, much of the transportation of these very heavy goods are on old number 6 highway.”
In addition to long-term ideas like the bypass, Barrett also listed rumble strips, steel dividers, and cat’s eyes (reflective markers between/bordering lanes) as short-term ways of addressing the issue of increased safety.
Ward Three Councillor Dan Lawrence offered his take on the issue: “The road is too flat and straight, allowing motorists to become complacent with speed, thus contributing to many accidents and also fatalities. With the unfortunate inability to construct centre barriers … the need for at least rumble strips has been magnified time and time again.”
“The reality is the MTO controls any implementation of strips and their philosophy within the bureaucracy, due to public backlash in areas where residents are directly adjacent to roads with strips and noise caused by them, trumps the desire for them by the public at large. It is frustrating to put it mildly,” stated Lawrence. “I am pleased that after some persistent lobbying, the bypass in Caledonia, which will be fully resurfaced this coming year, will have rumble strips installed.”
The following is a timeline of some of the notable accidents that took place between 2018-2019 in Haldimand County.
- Jan. 4, 2018 – Two people were sent to the hospital after a collision that took place at the intersection of Hwy. 6 and Concession 9 Walpole in Jarvis.
- Mar. 9, 2018 – A single vehicle collided with a utility pole on Hwy. 6 between Haldimand Road 70 and Consession 6 in Walpole, leading to a fatality.
- May 14, 2018 – Two drivers were sent to the hospital after a pickup truck collided with a tractor trailer at the intersection of Hwy. 6 and Haldimand Road 66, leading to a four-hour road closure.
- June 16, 2018 – A male driver faced multiple charges including impairment after a two-vehicle collision on Hwy. 6 near Nanticoke Creek Parkway in Jarvis.
- June 29, 2018 – The OPP Special Investigations Unit invoked a mandate following a motorcycle collision after an officer had previously observed the bike travelling at high speeds on Hwy. 6 near Caledonia.
- Sept. 3, 2018 – Three people were taken to hospital and a fourth was pronounced dead on the scene following a three car collision on Hwy. 6 between 10th and 11th Concession.
- Sept. 29, 2018 – The driver of a pickup truck fled the scene on foot after colliding with a commercial vehicle at the railway crossing on Hwy. 6 near 10th Concession in Walpole.
- Oct. 2, 2018 – A female motorist was transported to the hospital after colliding with a pickup truck on the southbound lane of Hwy. 6 near Unity Road.
- Oct. 31, 2018 – A father was pronounced dead on the scene and his son died later in the hospital following a three-vehicle collision on Hwy. 6 south of Concession 11 in Walpole.
- Nov. 5, 2018 – An SUV collided into the back of a tractor trailer that was stopped for road work on Hwy. 6 north of Sandusk Road. The driver was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.
- Nov. 23, 2018 – Two separate collisions led to charges of impaired driving. In the first instance, a southbound mini-van collided with a northbound farm tractor. In the second instance, a northbound SUV collided with a service pole.
- Feb. 13, 2019 – A northbound vehicle lost control and swerved into the southbound lane where it was struck on Hwy. 6 near Haldimand Road 55.
- Feb. 15, 2019 – A man was charged with impaired driving after he swerved into the oncoming lane and collided with a tractor trailer on Hwy. 6 between First Line and Second Line Road.
- Aug. 3, 2019 – A man suffered life threatening injuries after a southbound SUV crossed over into his lane and struck his vehicle on Hwy. 6 north of Unity Road.
- Aug. 20, 2019 – A female passenger succumbed to life-threatening injuries following a two-vehicle collision on Hwy. 6 near Haldimand Road 66.
- Oct. 7, 2019 – A collision between an SUV and a tractor trailer at the stop sign at Hwy. 6 and Third Line Road led to serious injuries for the operator of the SUV.
- Dec. 11, 2019 – A pedestrian was struck and killed by a pickup truck on Hwy. 6 south of Haldimand Road 55.
These are just some examples of the 166 reported accidents that took place on the highway over 2018-2019.
Lucente provided the following helpful tips to assist drivers in avoiding collisions: do not drive too closely to the vehicle ahead of you, pay attention to yield signs and ensure you follow them, and be aware of road conditions. Driving too fast during inclement weather can lead to loss of control and can have serious or fatal consequences.
“The safety and reliability of Ontario’s highways network is a top priority for our government,” said Lucente. “Ministry officials will continue to monitor traffic operations on Highway 6 and make improvements as required to improve safety.”
Barrett has some advice for those looking for change. “I think there has to be more pressure from the community. Letters and emails to the MTO, letters and emails to me as the local MPP.”
