Since midnight on Sunday, Barrie police says local officers and the Barrie Collision Reporting Centre (CRC) have investigated almost 45 collisions, many of which can be attributed to the "extreme winter weather" that has impacted the local area.
"These collisions have resulted in primarily property damage to the involved motor vehicles and, thankfully, there have not been any serious injuries," police stated in a release.
Vehicles that have been involved in a collision, where police are not required to attend, can be driven when safe to do so or towed to the collision reporting centre, stated the release.
At the CRC, the required information is obtained, the damaged is photographed, required reports are completed and advice can be provided as to what happens next.
If you are involved in a collision and are directed to the CRC, police advise drivers to:
- Exchange information with the others involved, including independent witnesses
- Obtain names, addresses, phone numbers, insurance and vehicle particulars
- As soon as possible (preferably within 24 hours), attend with your vehicle to the Reporting Centre. In most cases, claimants are advised to attend police headquarters when the Reporting Centre is open. However, claimants may attend at other times, in accordance with the situation
- Bring your documentation with you to the Collision Reporting Centre, i.e. driver's licence, ownership and insurance.
In Ontario, a recent modification has seen the threshold for CRC reporting changed and combined damage to all involved motor vehicles must be less than $5,000. it was previously set at $2,000.
For additional information on the collision reporting process, click here.
Citizens can also now start their collision report from home by visiting https://reportacollision.com/. You will be provided with a reference number to bring to the Collision Reporting Centre to complete the report.