Travis McDougall has had many close calls with drivers trying to cross or merge onto the Trans-Canada Highway at at-grade intersections.
“It makes your heart jump a bit,” the long-haul trucker drive and co-founder of Truckers for Safer Highways told Global News.
“I’m clipping along at 100 kilometres per hour … there’s not a lot that can be done if someone pulls out in front of you. That’s just the way it is.”
Last Thursday, 15 people died and 10 others were seriously injured when a bus full of seniors collided with a transport truck at an at-grade intersection on the Trans-Canada Highway near the town of Carberry in Manitoba.
Manitoba RCMP said the truck was travelling east on the highway when the southbound bus crossed at an intersection on Highway 5. Aerial footage of the crash scene shows that drivers crossing the highway have to first obey a stop sign and then a yield in the median between the opposite lanes.
Police say dashcam footage from the truck shows it had the right-of-way.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Trans-Canada Highway is almost completely a four-lane highway in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but a large number of its intersections outside of cities are at-grade – two routes crossing at the same elevation – and controlled with stop and yield signs.
Thursday’s crash was not the first at that crossing. According to the province, there were 29 collisions from 2012 to 2021, including 12 that resulted in injuries and one death. Of the 29 collisions, seven were listed as crashes with animals and 22 were listed as collisions with a motor vehicle.
“It absolutely becomes a precarious situation when you have multiple signs, when you are new to that particular intersection. If you are just driving through an unknown area for the first time, it causes a bit of an extra challenge to crisscross that intersection, especially if it is an uncontrolled intersection,” said Manan Gupta, a board member with the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals.
“There needs to be a serious review … especially for intersections meeting with Trans-Canada Highways. They are much more prone to risks and collisions and they can be avoided if there is a technical review done, and the solutions are put into place timely, efficiently and effectively.”
Dave Earle, CEO of the BC Trucking Association, said there need to be more separate interchanges built throughout Canada. However, he understands many such projects aren’t economically or physically feasible, especially depending on the location.
“Whenever possible, we advocate for grade separation. This includes rail crossings, this includes major highway intersections, but the vast majority of intersections right across the continent are at-grade,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s really difficult to do (a grade separation) physically, even if you have the will and the money. As much as we all would like to have an uninterrupted and safe commute, there’s always the risk … and when mistakes happen, the consequences can be dire.”
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson told reporters Monday an internal review has begun to determine if there need to be changes to the intersection along the highway.
“After any accident or incident on our highways, there is an internal review that takes place. That review is taking place right now,” she said.
“Because of the extent of the severity of this review, we’re prepared to go beyond that and bring in experts as needed moving forward to see what that will look like and we will unfold the details of that in due course.”
Aside from building overpasses or installing traffic signals, Gupta said there are some enhancements that can be made to highway intersections.
For example, he suggested flashing stop signs at high-risk areas, or even messaging boards posted nearby warning drivers of dangers.
“Every bit helps in avoiding a crash, but the most important thing is a driver’s own behaviour on the road,” Gupta said.
“If a driver is distracted … it is very difficult to avoid a collision.”
McDougall said drivers – especially professionals – need to be defensive behind the wheel.
“Collisions are happening when someone chooses to pass when it’s not safe,” he said.
“At any time when you’re going across a major highway like that, (rule) No. 1 should be to stop, crawl ahead and look again. That gives you the opportunity to get clear of any obstructions that have blocked (your vision).
“Don’t just look once. It’s no different than driving down the highway. You should always be checking your mirrors. It’s all part of defensive driving – checking your mirrors and watching ahead of you.”
— with files from Global News’ Eric Sorensen, Amy-Ellen Prentice and The Canadian Press
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