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Stay Safe: A Road Safety Reminder

July 9, 2013 By Lena

Ah… electricity. How I take you for granted! But after being one of the hundreds of thousands of Torontonians without power last night – over 800,000 homes in the western suburbs and 300,000 homes in the core were blacked out for 6+ hours – let’s just say that the warm, radiating glow from my computer screen has never felt more welcome.

(Adding insult to injury? We had just completed an epic grocery run and finished stocking the fridge and freezer when the power went out. Thank goodness it was only 6 hours, or $200 worth of groceries would have gone down the drain!)

Of course, the horrific pictures from last night’s catastrophe “flooded” my Facebook feed and inbox this morning (honestly, no pun intended) –

Images courtesy of The Toronto Star; see full gallery and photo credits here.

Living in the Greater Toronto Area for 35 years, I honestly can’t remember a storm of these proportions – or even close, for that matter. In fact, the record breaking rainfall was measured at 5 inches in under 2 hours. Although we had to contend with a power outage and very wet backyard, we were fortunate to be free from flooding or any other lasting damage. Today, the city-wide cleanup begins (even though rain is forecasted to continue until tomorrow night).

Sitting in my inbox for weeks: Summer Road Safety Tips from Michelin. Oh I know – even the most diligently safe driver can’t avoid a natural disaster. However, I thought it was a good time to remind my readers about day-to-day safety initiatives – especially for those taking road trips or vacationing up north this summer. And if the flash floods from last night have taught us anything… stow a pair of cheap rainboots in your trunk!

1. Tread lightly!

Use the “Penny Test” to see if your tires are in need of replacing. Put the edge of the coin into the tread with the Queen going in head first. If the top of the Queen’s head is covered by tread, that’s good. If the top of her head is entirely visible, it’s time to replace the tire. < LOVE this tip! Such a simple test everyone can do at home!

2. Have a professional give your car a summer check-up.

Summer driving can often be hot and stressful. Getting your vehicle’s major systems checked before heading out for long-weekends can help avoid unpleasant surprises on the road. < I always say that the beginning of summer is the best time to perform car maintenance; after all, we do a lot of driving in summer, and it’s nice to get the green light before you travel.

3. Spare tires go a long way.

You never know when you might hit a bump on the road. Make sure your spare tire is properly inflated and easy to reach. < Er… this is a big fail for me. But I suppose that’s why I have Roadside Assistance.

4. Don’t sleep and steer.

Take regular breaks every couple of hours if you need them; stop regularly to stretch your legs. If possible, share the role of driver with someone new at the wheel every three hours. < I’ll never forget the one time I nearly dozed at the wheel. I was travelling on Highway 401 in the left-most of four lanes… and I briefly closed my eyes. When I awoke, I was in the right-most lane. I was probably out for no more than a few seconds, but that one silly shut-eye could have proven life-threatening. Let’s just say I learned my lesson – quickly.

5. Don’t forget to pack your safety supplies.

Planning ahead goes a long way. Always make sure you have extra windshield wiper fluid, a map to help guide your way and road safety kit. Don’t forget extra batteries for the flashlight! < I can’t stress how important it is to stash a paper map in your trunk. Cell phones die or lose reception; GPS navigation systems can provide a route that has been closed by construction; and sometimes, you need to clearly see beyond the next two steps.

Stay safe this summer, friends… and if it starts raining like crazy, stay indoors!

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: #floodTO, Michelin Road Safety Tips, summer road trips

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Soozle

    July 9, 2013 at 9:35 am

    Oh my! Those photos are so heartbreaking! I think of the damage the flooding did in Calgary (but sidenote: cheers to them for insisting and ensuring the Stampede still went on – that city is tough as nails!) and sigh about the damage I am sure it will leave in its wake in TO…

    Great tips too – I am very guilty of not checking my spare tire (other than knowing I have one… uhhh yeah) and REALLY planning ahead. I recently noticed my first aid kit had been depleted to a couple of bandaids, alcohol wipes and a tongue depressor..

    Yeah.. Time to smarten up, I think, with my frequent out of city travels in the summer!

    Stay safe yourself! ♥

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:37 pm

      I think most people will find that their first aid kit is abysmal :) Happy to hear you are staying on top of your safety!

  2. sarah sar

    July 9, 2013 at 10:34 am

    I’m just a bit east of TO so we’re lucky that we didn’t get any major flooding but did have a power outage and that was not fun! Been living in TO all my life and I’ve never seen anything quite like this at “home”. Hope TO quickly recovers from this and bounces back but we are still due more rain!

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:37 pm

      I know exactly what you mean by not seeing these kind of disasters at “home”. Though we did recover quickly!

  3. Anne Taylor

    July 9, 2013 at 10:38 am

    My youngest daughter is headed to Toronto on the 27th (by herself) ahhh for a few days. The sights of this kind of flooding is just so frightening!

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:38 pm

      Oh, I totally hear you. Though I can positively assure you Anne that we have fully recovered from the flood!

  4. Debbie Bashford

    July 9, 2013 at 12:05 pm

    Was watching it unfold on TV yesterday, they were saying not since Hurricane Hazel has it been that bad. Those poor people stuck on that Go train some for more than 7 hours!

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:39 pm

      I KNOW. I actually have a friend who was stuck on the train and was riveted by his Facebook updates. He was sharing statuses and pictures that were downright horrible.

  5. francine

    July 9, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    I’m glad you are all ok. i somewhat remember a bad flood we had in moncton several years ago. there was a lot that needed fixed up.i cant even imagine all the work that will go into it with a huge city like Toronto.

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:39 pm

      Thankfully the water seems to have disappeared as quickly as it came. I have a lawn again!

  6. Judy C

    July 9, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    The weather has been doing some crazy things lately. Glad to hear that you are okay.

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:39 pm

      Thanks so much Judy :)

  7. Flora M

    July 9, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    I know the DVP has been closed by several “floods” at the south end where the Don River is very close to the level of the parkway. I grew up in Toronto and I know there are quite a few roads around the city are prone to collecting a lot of water, but I haven’t seen this much flooding in a long time. I wasn’t born when Hurricane Hazel hit, but my mother, father and aunt (who lived near the Eglinton Flats) told me all about it.

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:42 pm

      I think I’ve seen the DVP flooded a few times, but no more than a few inches of water. This was INSANE.

  8. michael

    July 9, 2013 at 5:28 pm

    I know someone who was stuck on the go-train for 8.5 hours…man!

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:43 pm

      Yup, I mentioned him earlier!!

  9. Heidi C.

    July 9, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    Thanks for the reminders. We always think of road safety in the winter but it is important to think of it year-round!

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 6:43 pm

      Absolutely Heidi! Road safety is just as important in summer, and for different reasons!

  10. Doris Calvert

    July 10, 2013 at 12:38 am

    Wow! I am in Alberta so we are getting the same crazy weather! I believe our earth is changing and I think more radiation and who knows what got out in Japan.with their disaster I don’t know it all does not make sense. Stay safe Lena

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 7:22 pm

      Thanks Doris. I am actually starting to fear weather patterns, like you.

  11. Marissa

    July 10, 2013 at 7:13 am

    Thanks for the safety tips and I hope we don’t have this crazy storm again.

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 7:23 pm

      Fingers crossed Marissa :)

  12. Victoria Ess

    July 10, 2013 at 10:13 am

    Thanks for the tips! I keep a safety kit in my trunk, and Walmart and Canadian tire carry a range of great kits, if you aren’t sure what to put in yours.

    Our power went out for about 6 hours too. My heart goes out to people in the downtown Toronto and Etobicoke area who went without power for much longer (I heard that thousands will have to wait until this afternoon to get power back on!), or had flood damage to their homes, businesses, or cars.

    On a lighter note, one of the best pictures I saw/stories I heard was of the abandoned ferrari:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/07/09/toronto-flood-ferrari-video_n_3566474.html

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 7:23 pm

      Hahaha thanks so much for sharing Victoria! Definitely put a smile on my face :)

  13. mrdisco

    July 10, 2013 at 3:20 pm

    good: i didn’t get rained on, the car wasn’t flooded, and the house was fine
    bad: my PC fried due to power fluctuations

    moral: buy and use a UPS (and don’t buy a UPS and then keep it in the box sitting next to the PC where it collects dust and then taunts you when your PC is fried)

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 7:24 pm

      OH NO! That has actually happened to me too, so I can completely sympathize :(

  14. ~she~

    July 10, 2013 at 3:54 pm

    We didn’t get it THAT bad here but we are still in danger of floating away! I had just stepped into the shower when we lost power the other night. We have no windows in our bathroom so it was darker than anything you could imagine. No one in my family would come to my aid, despite my continuous calls for a candle. I took the whole shower in the pitch black, pretending to be blind. Only when I was ready to shave my legs did I very loudly demand that someone bring me a candle that instant. It wasn’t easy, but it worked!

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 7:25 pm

      Oh, that’s crazy!! Sorry to hear you lost power as well…. I admire your tenacity in continuing to shave your legs!

  15. Erika E

    July 11, 2013 at 10:57 am

    This has been a strange year for weather. What is going on with all these storms? Thanks for the tips, I think the penny one is great and I’ll have to use it on my car.

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 7:25 pm

      I think the penny one is a great tip too :) Stay safe!

  16. Karine

    July 11, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    Wow I saw pictures of the flood but not these ones, these are really extreme. I can’t believe there was that much water.

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 7:25 pm

      I know, it’s hard to believe for sure!

  17. SueSueper

    July 14, 2013 at 3:22 pm

    My gosh, many of my co-worker found themseleves in some of these messes on their way home from work yesterday. Many took over 3 hrs to get home, that’s just CRAZY!

    Luckily it didn’t impact me at all. Yesgterday we walked by one of the roads that were flooded Monday and definitely did see all the grass along the river all weathered (pushed down) in one direction. And still the road being dirty from the water that flowed over it. saw it muddy compared to where water didn’t flow over.

    • Lena

      July 14, 2013 at 7:27 pm

      It happened at rush hour time, so it was very unfortunate indeed! We had just returned home and I’m so thankful we weren’t on the road, but I know thousands weren’t as lucky.

  18. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    July 19, 2013 at 8:11 am

    That was crazy. We were lucking in Grafton, we didnt really get anything here.

    • Lena

      August 25, 2013 at 10:31 am

      So pleased to hear you weren’t affected :)

  19. Emilia

    November 2, 2013 at 5:59 pm

    wow, I missed that news cast. I have a few precious things of mine in a plastic tub on the second floor. I like the idea of a paper map. Everything being so online now. There is a bicycle charger that will store energy that will supply power to your smart phone. I am going to order this, good reminder. I have been without power twice once for 4 days I didn’t go to work had school age children, and a second time for three days around Christmas. Candles out for decorations saved us. That power outage was very romantic

  20. loriag

    November 17, 2013 at 9:25 am

    A little planning and preparedness goes so far in preventing or dealing with crisis on the road. Thanks for sharing the tips.

  21. kathy downey

    August 27, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    The weather seems to be getting nastier as the years go by,being prepared is so important!

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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