A driver has been charged after a vehicle hydroplaned on Highway 11 in Callander earlier this week and crashed into a ditch. An investigation revealed that the car’s two rear tires were thin and almost completely bald. The crash took place around 2 a.m. Nov. 9, with Ontario Provincial Police, EMS and paramedics responding to the single-vehicle crash in the southbound lane. “The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle after hydroplaning and struck the centre median,” the OPP said in a Nov. 13 news release. “The vehicle’s airbags deployed, and the driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital. During the investigation, officers determined that the vehicle’s two rear tires had very little remaining tread.” The driver was charged with improper tires under the Highway Traffic Act. The vehicle was towed from the scene. “Tire safety is an important part of preventing collisions, particularly during wet weather,” police said. “Drivers are reminded to regularly inspect their tires and ensure they have adequate tread depth. Worn tires significantly reduce traction and the ability to channel water away from the tire’s contact surface, increasing the risk of hydroplaning and loss of vehicle control.” And with winter weather almost here, police urge motorists to prepare their vehicles for changing road conditions, including having winter tires.
