Vehicle collisions and pedestrian injuries have been reported across the Greater Toronto Area as a result of the freezing rain Tuesday morning.
Toronto police issued a public safety alert after receiving an increase in vehicle collision calls throughout the city.
City crews began salting local roads at 4 a.m.
The freezing rain, which started early Tuesday morning and prompted a weather advisory for much of southern Ontario, will change to rain during the day as temperatures begin to rise.
In Peel Region, local paramedics responded to dozens of pedestrian injuries due to the slippery surface conditions.
Ontario Provincial Police have been dealing with highway collisions all morning especially in areas west and north of Toronto.
“We’ve seen the salters out there doing their jobs but it takes awhile for that salt to get in there and get rid of the ice,” Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said.
“Most collisions we’ve been seeing are just drivers going too fast for the conditions, not adjusting their driving and getting into trouble.”
Schmidt said the road conditions are very deceiving and can play tricks on your eyes.
“The roads look wet, like summer rain, but there’s still ice there and you need to be able to adjust your driving to those conditions,” he said.
School boards across the Greater Toronto Area were also forced to cancel bus service due to the icy road conditions.
Pedestrians are being warned to pay attention to where they step as walkways and sidewalks can cause injury.