When bad weather happens, there are often major hazards to be dodged in cyberspace, as well as on the road.
Yesterday, the Quinte Region was hammered by snow squalls and whiteout conditions that were a factor in dozens of crashes, some involving multiple vehicles and at least one major fire along the local stretch of the 401.
While it looked like a war zone in some areas, there were only a few smaller injuries, but you may have a very different idea if you spent the day on social media.
I have been reporting on events like this for decades now, and I can tell you that the chaos on the roads is almost always mirrored by a confusing stream of information, that you have to wade through like a flood to reach the shorelines of truth.
Everyone’s doing the best that they can, as the officers, firefighters and paramedics are fully engaged in lifesaving and traffic-flow restoring efforts. The last thing they (or any of us) need is the wrong information getting out and making things worse.
Several times yesterday, I saw posts on Facebook or Twitter/x about three people with vital signs absent near Trenton. That never happened. Someone did call that in, but it turned out to be false. That didn’t stop people from reposting it all afternoon.
Information on where and when the 401 was shut down was also constantly changing and evolving, with some social media posts lagging behind and lacking key information 1 to 4 hours after the fact. That could lead people to make the wrong choice and think things are okay when they certainly weren’t
I’m not saying you shouldn’t trust social media at all but be very wary about what you see and also what you post. When we do it, we have access to resources in the field on site in real time. Without that vital and timely input, we would just be guessing and that can be as dangerous as any snowstorm.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
