Here at the 680News Traffic Centre we answer hundreds of calls daily. We rely heavily on you, the traffic spotter, to be our eyes in areas where cameras don’t exist yet. We also rely on you for accident or incident details that we might not be aware of. This all helps us give a clearer picture of the traffic situation as we do our reports.

Sometimes, after witnessing a disturbing accident, it is hard for many traffic spotters to really focus on the information. This happened the other day. We had an unfortunate situation on the Northbound 400 near Barrie where someone had been hit by a tractor trailer and was lying on the road. A traffic spotter called to tell me he had just driven by and was very upset by what he saw. When I asked him for details, like the exact location of the accident, he was unable to provide me with all the information because, as he said, he was really shaken up by what he had just seen. He was able to give me enough information, however, to allow me to pursue it on my own.

Just because several accidents happen every day on the roads in this area doesn’t mean that we as drivers witness accidents every day. And when we do witness one it is often minor in nature. So we are not always prepared for the disturbing scenes we can stumble upon on the roads, especially if we come across an accident before the police or emergency crews arrive.

It really is something that traffic spotters take the time to call us, even though they may be shaken and upset. Thanks for always being so helpful, no matter what the circumstances.