We’re glad to hear from the RCMP that drivers are generally behaving themselves in the snowy weather.
It could be a lot worse than a few fender-benders and a single roll-over.
Every year, even though we know it’s coming and even though we’ve been through it numerous times before, winter manages to sneak up on us, while at the same time hitting us like a brick. It can be disheartening for sure, but it’s no excuse to forget how to drive.
It’s amazing, considering that we live in the land of perpetual winter for six months of the year that people can forget how to drive for the conditions, which are persistently bad.
Transport Canada gives a few tips on their website. We’ve all had experiences with other drivers who obviously have no consideration for the weather or their fellow drivers. We’ve all had our close calls, but were lucky enough to return home to our families. Some aren’t so lucky.
Some of these tips include slowing down and wearing your seatbelt, giving yourself extra time to get where you’re going, removing all the snow from your vehicle before driving, packing an emergency kit and planning your trip.
One would assume these tips would be no-brainers, but we’ve all seen the evidence to the contrary.
We’ve all been passed on the highway by that lifted truck with the stickers on the back window that flies by at 140 km/h when everyone else is going 80. If that driver had to slam on the brakes, it could lead to a serious incident as he skids out of control and into the vehicles he was passing. If he had planned his trip, he might not be in such a hurry.
What about that car that drives around with a foot of snow on its hood and roof?
That can’t be safe, for the driver or his fellow drivers. If that snow flies up into the windshield it could blind the driver for long enough to run into something or someone.
Don’t get caught without an emergency kit in your car either. Those back roads can get pretty hazardous during a large snowfall, so remember to pack some candles and matches, extra clothes and a few granola bars.
It’s not a bad idea to carry around sand or kitty litter to help you out of a bind as well.
Have a safe winter on those roads everyone.
