The Barrie Police Service Traffic Unit responds to hundreds of collisions that take place on roads in the City of Barrie each year, and hundreds more are reported to the Collision Reporting Centre.
In 2021, the intersection of Mapleview Drive East & Park Place had the highest number of reported collisions. The second highest collision count occurred at the intersection of Cedar Point Drive & Dunlop Street West. The intersections of Cundles Road East & St. Vincent Street, Dunlop Street West & Ferndale Drive North, and Bayfield Street & Cundles Road West also fell within the top five.
The intersections that see a high-collision count are ones that experience high traffic volume and are typically found along major routes throughout the city, and all have traffic lights to control the flow of traffic. You may not be able to avoid these intersections in your travels, but you can ensure you are driving safely at all times, especially through these busy intersections that see more collisions.
Some tips to keep in mind when driving through intersections:
- When approaching an intersection with a traffic light that has been green for a while, be prepared to stop if it turns yellow. Upon an approach to a yellow light, you should stop your vehicle if you can do so safely.
- When approaching an intersection that is blocked with traffic, do not enter the intersection until the traffic clears.
- If you are preparing to turn left at a busy intersection, you can pull into the intersection but must wait for oncoming traffic to clear before turning.
- Be aware of other road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists may all be travelling near your vehicle. Make sure you are aware of their placement and use your signals to let them know when you’re planning to turn or change lanes.
- Drive according to the conditions. If conditions or visibility are poor, slow down, give yourself plenty of space between vehicles, and pay attention to the road without distractions.
While these intersections experience the most collisions, by being prepared and driving carefully and defensively you can reduce the likelihood of being involved in a collision.
If you are involved in a collision, at these or any other location, the BPS Traffic Unit reminds motorists to call 911 if anyone is injured. If there are no injuries and the estimated combined damage to the involved vehicles is more than $2,000, the collision can be reported through the Collision Reporting Centre located at the Barrie Simcoe Emergency Services Campus at 110 Fairview Road.