Community Column by Don Butt (December 2015)

Town of Mono, ON (Don Butt) Well, it’s that time of year again. Storms and poor driving conditions (and poor roads as well) icing and snow and so on if you live in this part of Ontario. We hope you have had your car winterized and are carrying the recommended safety equipment. Keep one station on your radio tuned to a local station that carries up to date weather reports.


As a firm believer in the danger of “black ice” keep an eye out for the danger areas: overpasses, bridges, along bodies of water of any kind, etc. Remember that snow and ice add many metres to stopping distances so allow extra space for safe stops. If you are lucky enough to have ABS brakes on your vehicle, this can be reduced considerably. I have been driving with ABS brakes for some time now and wouldn’t be without them.

Another point to consider for winter driving is the type of tires. If you live on a country road or have a long driveway, snow tires are probably wise. If you do nothing but highway driving which are often bare, all weather tires are fine and not only ride quieter but get a better grip on ice than snow tires. This is a controversial issue but we believe it to be worth considering.

One thing that we always like to emphasize in safe driving is to think ahead and plan ahead. The drivers who come up to a stop sign and wait, seeing oncoming traffic, and then pull out just ahead of the oncoming vehicle are not thinking at all!! Are you in a hurry to visit the hospital or perhaps meet the man upstairs?

One of the things we at Mono Community Policing are working on this year is the strip of No. 10 Highway from Primrose to Orangeville. This long straight stretch of highway has become a racecourse and the resultant crashes are a serious problem for our OPP and everyone involved. We have made suggestions to the Police Services Board but these may not be practical. If anyone has a workable idea, please don’t hesitate to pass it on to our Web Site.

Safety Tip – Match speed for road and weather conditions. (This tip comes to you courtesy of Doug Annett and the Skid Control School at Oakville, ON www.skidcontrolschool.com)

Phone Nos. (a list of valuable numbers to have)
For all emergencies – 911
To report non emergency incidents or bad drivers 1-800-310-1122
Or by cell phone only *677

Road Watch
To report unsafe driving behaviour contact OPP Communications Centre:
*OPP (*677) on your Cell or
1-888-310-1122 on your Landline.
If you prefer a paper form, our forms are available at Mono Plaza and OPP at Primrose. Please use them, the life you may save could be your own or a loved one.

Don Butt is currently the Public Relations and Media Contact for the Mono Community Policing Committee. If you would like more information on anything covered in Don’s Column or would like to see a topic of public interest or safety covered; post a comment below.