ORILLIA, Ont. - Provincial police are appealing to motorists to help keep Ontario's roads safe this winter after recording a surge in crashes last year.
The OPP says there were 33,334 collisions between Dec. 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014, compared to 25,953 collisions over the same four-month period in 2012-2013.
They say bad driving, and not poor weather or road conditions, was a primary contributing factor in many of the crashes.
The provincial force says it is working closely with the Ministry of Transportation to ensure that roads are kept as safe as possible over the winter months.
It plans to provide a steady flow of safety tips, information and reminders in an effort to keep motorists on track with safe driving behaviour.
One key message will be the need for drivers to slow down and drive according to road and weather conditions.
