After such a mild season, it was the last thing many motorists were expecting - the return of winter.
Every year, G.T.A. drivers seem to forget how to navigate on suddenly slippery streets. There were more than 140 accidents around the city Wednesday, and the worst of them all may be the one that took place on the 401 near Dixon Road.
Two young children, ages 6 and 12, were both ejected from their father's SUV after the vehicle spun out of control on the onramp, hit a tractor trailer, a cube van and another car before finally coming to a stop.
Crews had to bring in the jaws of life to rescue the driver, who was wedged into the wreckage and couldn't escape.
Rose DiPalma watched in disbelief as the scene unfolded in front of her. She immediately got out of her car to help the injured kids, as other drivers approaching at full speed somehow managed to maneuver around them as they lay on the pavement.
"I saw the two girls on the floor, in the middle of the road. I pulled over, helped the mother with the girls then brought them to the side of the road," she recalls.
"I put them in my truck to help them calm down. They were shocked, distraught. The bigger girl had blood all over her face. And the little girl, she had some internal injuries but neither of them spoke English so I had to really calm them down."
The father screamed in pain as he was extricated and put on a stretcher.
There was fog in the air and ice on the highway at the time of the accident, which happened just after 7am. Many motorists were surprised when roads that had stayed clear for months suddenly froze up.
Police were on the scene within minutes and discovered the reason the kids were thrown clear - neither was wearing a seatbelt.
It's an omission that stuns veteran Sgt. Cam Woolley.
"For parents not to have their children buckled up is just such a horrible risk," he criticizes. "You're just courting disaster, and that's what we have this morning with two children thrown out onto the slippery road. I'm just thankful no one ran over them."
The older child was transported to hospital, but both are expected to be O.K., a fact that DiPalma finds nothing short of incredible.
"For them to come out alive is just miraculous," she confirms. "Their mother just picked them up and moved them over and I'm glad they're going to be O.K."
And that wasn't the only miraculous escape. No one in any of the other three cars was hurt.
The father will be facing several charges in the incident.
Despite the morning mayhem, our roads are actually safer than they've ever been. A new study says 4,000 more Canadians died 30 years ago because they didn't use seatbelts, divided highways or airbags.
- Slippery streets were also being blamed for a fatal accident at Dufferin St. and Rutherford Rd. The driver apparently lost control of his vehicle after hitting a patch of black ice and crashed into nearby trees.
20-car pile-up on Bayview Ave.
Are snow tires a must?
Here's a look at advice from the CAA on how to avoid those slippery moments on the streets.
Winter Driving Tips
1. Slow Down. If conditions are bad, adjust your driving habits accordingly. Leave earlier and take it slower. You won't get there faster if you're involved in a fender bender.
2. Keep Your Distance. It takes longer to stop when the roads are wet and slippery. Leaving more room between cars means you won't have to slam on the brakes if you have a close encounter with the vehicle ahead of you.
3. Look Ahead. Paying attention to what's happening several cars in front of you will tell what you're heading into, and allow you time to avoid the worst.
Rear Wheel Skids
1. Take your foot off the brake if the rear wheels skid due to hard or panic braking.
2. Ease off the gas pedal if the rear wheels lose traction due to hard acceleration.
3. Shift to neutral.
4. Look down the road in the direction you want the front of the car to go and be sensitive to the feel of the car and how it's responding to your steering.
5. To regain control of the vehicle, steer gently in the direction of the skid of the rear of the vehicle. Just before the skid ends, bring the front wheels straight. Sometimes the vehicle will skid in the opposite direction, so you may have to repeat the movement until the vehicle stabilizes.
6. Once the vehicle is straight, return to a driving gear and accelerate gently so that engine speed matches road speed.
Front Wheel Skids
1. If the front wheels skid from hard braking, release the brake. If the wheels spin from loss of traction due to acceleration, ease off on the accelerator.
2. Shift to neutral.
3. If the front wheels have been turned prior to the loss of traction, don't move the steering wheel. Since the wheels are skidding sideways, a certain amount of braking force will be extended.
4. Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again. When traction returns, you'll regain steering control.
5. Return to a driving gear and gently steer in the direction you want to travel. Gently accelerate until engine speed matches road speed.
Four Wheel Skids
1. Remove your foot from the brake or accelerator.
2. Shift into neutral.
3. Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
4. Wait for the wheels to grip the road again. As soon as the wheels regain traction, you'll wind up in the direction you want to go.
5. Return to a driving gear and maintain a safe speed.
ABS Braking
This one's the opposite to the others. If you have the ABS System in your car, don't pump the brakes or take your foot off the pedal. The system is designed to stop your wheels from locking if you slam to a stop, and allow you to continue to control the car.
If you do wind up pumping the brakes out of habit, they may pulse back against your foot as a reminder you're not riding them right.
Hidden Dangers
Remember, what you can't see can hurt you. Watch for the three hidden hazards of winter driving:
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Black ice: The most deceptive of all cold weather woes. It's invisible to the eye and can form before you're even aware of it. If the pavement looks shiny and black instead of a grayish-white, be suspicious.
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Bridges and overpass: They tend to ice over first, and provide the most chance you'll slide into the guy next to you.
- Intersections: They also get slippery faster because of all the car exhaust and packed snow that surrounds them. And more people are likely to slip when making a turn at a corner.
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