It seems that each and every year people forget that winter is coming and when it hits it shows just how ill-prepared they can be.

Traffic is backed up with the first snowflake. Cars slide all over the road and end up in ditches. And all too often lives are lost.

Twice in the space of six days, Highway 10 was closed for hours after fatal crashes at the foot of Elba hill, where the highway intersects with Mono's 25 Sideroad and the road narrows from four to two lanes.

Last Thursday, near dusk, 61-year-old Thomas Aikman of Innisfil was driving his 1995 Dodge Ram northbound when he apparently lost control, crossed into the southbound lane and struck a southbound water delivery truck head-on. Mr. Aikman was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the water delivery truck was treated at the scene by paramedics.

Then on Tuesday afternoon, as road conditions in Dufferin quickly went from sunny to blizzard-induced whiteouts, a Chevrolet Malibu driven by Shirley Kokkonen, 56 of Dundalk, who was northbound near the same junction when her car collided with a southbound tractor trailer. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

On both occasions, the highway was closed for several hours, and the police investigations are continuing.

Dufferin OPP detachment says that on Tuesday afternoon alone it responded to about 40 reports of collisions. Adding single-vehicle mishaps to the mix would more than double the number of incidents, an OPP spokesman said Wednesday.

This is nothing new to the police.

OPP Cst. Al Buck said he is astounded at the mistakes people make each and every year, as they get yearly reminders of why Canada enjoys the reputation of being the snowy north.

"Right from the first snow, people forget what they're doing, we see it every year," said the police constable. "And they may not be speeding, but they don't realize that they still need to slow it down."

He said the combination of reduced traction on the roads and reduced visibility make for dangerous situations that call for drivers to be careful all around.

The first significant snowfall occurred last Thursday, and Cst. Buck said the OPP saw the kind of driving that made them believe drivers didn't really know what they were doing behind the wheel.

Some drivers, he said, haven't yet put winter tires on their vehicles, which could mean the difference between a safe drive and one that ends up in a ditch.

"People who have never experienced the new generation of winter tires don't know what they're missing," he said. "The rubber is softer and they're so much safer. But drivers need to be sure they put four tires on their cars, not just two on the front of a front wheel drive car."

The OPP is also telling motorists to be sure to clean all the snow off every window of their cars to be sure of complete 360-degree visibility.

As well, carry a snow brush, jumper cables and be sure your cell phone is charged up at all times.

Statistics show winter driving behaviour in Quebec is significantly better than in Ontario, possibly due to the fact that in most areas they get more snow. Cst. Buck said there seem to be fewer accidents there when the amount of snow they get is factored in.

"Our main safety message is to just expect poor winter driving conditions and give yourself more time for travel, and significantly increase your following distance behind other vehicles," he said.