Frequent T.C.H. closures caused by accidents this summer becoming alarming, says RCMP

Frequent T.C.H. closures caused by accidents this summer becoming alarming, says RCMP

Between the beginning of the year and July, the RCMP responded to 14 fatal roadway incidents

If you’ve driven the Trans Canada Highway in Newfoundland and Labrador this summer you’ve maybe come to a standstill because of motor vehicle collisions that caused a full road closure.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said the number of incidents has become increasingly alarming. He said the RCMP responded to 14 fatal roadway incidents between January and July. This does not include Royal Newfoundland Constabulary data.

“We continue to investigate a number of these serious collisions but we are reminded the situation we are seeing on our roadways is certainly preventable," O’Donaghey told CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show.

He hopes when travelling on the T.C.H. all drivers use caution and allow for extra time to get to their destination.

When it comes to accidents causing closures, at least half of them involved commercial transport vehicles.

Chris Howlett with Akita Equipment says it could be out-of-town truckers not used to N.L. roads.

Because everything is going on between Canada and the U.S. with trade and border disagreements, Howlett said more drivers from the mainland are coming to the province that have never been here before.

With lots of hills and two lane highways, instead of four lanes, Howlett says it takes a bit more talent to navigate. But it's not all mainland drivers, as he believes lack of experience is a big problem amongst all new drivers, as well as them being distracted.

“A guy I know who drives Newfoundland everyday posted and said in 28 years of driving he’s never seen it as bad as it is today,” said Howlett.

Howlett believes more could be done by Department of Transportation officers in enforcing entry regulations when unfamiliar drivers are coming to the island to make roads safer.

The RCMP does work with commercial vehicle enforcement when trucks are involved in accidents, O’Donaghey said, but right now there is no “clear cause” as to why N.L. has seen the number of accidents involving commercial vehicles.

O’Donaghey said when accidents do occur on the highway, with any kind of vehicle, there are a number of steps that happen. Each scene is assessed by one of the province's crash analysts and based on safety needs is when closures are taken into consideration.

He says officers do consider alternatives, like single lane use or detours, but that isn’t always an option or most appropriate.

“It takes into account the severity of the collision, the safety of the motors and emergency responders at that scene but unfortunately sometimes a full road closure is most safe,” said O’Donaghey.

Not only is it most safe, in O’Donaghey’s eyes, but closures preserve things like debris, tire marks or damaged highway infrastructure which is critical for the investigation in determining exactly what occurred.

“It’s important to know every single vehicle that drives through that scene could have an impact on that physical evidence being collected,” said O’Donaghey.

Usually it's the investigation and the reassessing of the roads safety afterwards that delays roads from reopening, he added. If tractor trailers are involved, it takes more time.

O’Donaghey understands the closures are frustrating but it’s not a decision the RCMP takes lightly. He adds that closures are communicated to motorists by officers on scene and through their media pages.

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Cameron Kilfoy (he/him) is a journalist working with CBC News based in St. John's. He can be reached at cameron.kilfoy@cbc.ca.

With files from The St. John's Morning Show