It was common for there to be an inch or more of ice on the inside of the cabs, even with the heaters struggling full blast. As many Northerners can attest, it takes a high level of coordination to scrape ice from the inside of the windshield while navigating an icy road. When conditions reached the critical stage, many men either panicked, or had reached the point of hypothermia where reason is lost, and died as a result. In one particularly unnecessary tragedy, three men froze only four miles from the McCrae camp near Whitehorse when their truck's fuel line froze. They had an axe, matches, a tank full of gasoline, and a load of worn-out tires that could have kept them warm for weeks.
Several graves remain along the highway.
All known ones were restored in 1991-1992, in preparation for the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the completion of the highway.