Winter鈥檚 only just begun, but its arrival has brought a flurry of flakes and freezing rain, which has created dangerous driving conditions on many of Chilliwack鈥檚 roads and nearby highways.
Over the holidays, ICBC estimated an average of 340 people province-wide were hurt in 1,200 crashes: that鈥檚 22 accidents and six people injured every hour from Christmas Eve evening to midnight on Boxing Day. And while not every case can be attributed driver error, many instances could be avoided if drivers slowed down or regularly practiced safe driving techniques to cutoff any possibly disastrous circumstances.
The road to safe driving begins before even leaving the driveway said ICBC鈥檚 Joanna Linsangan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about preparing your vehicle,鈥� she says. 鈥淪tart at the roof and work your way down clearing off all the snow and ice. Make sure you wipe off the side mirrors and the license plate.鈥�
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Charlz Sebastian, who owns RoadQuest Driving Academy, agrees visibility is one of the most important aspects of winter driving. 鈥淢any drivers drive their cars with a lot of snow on the windshield and they don鈥檛 have a lot of visibility,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not good.鈥� Clean the car off completely while warming it up: it won鈥檛 be time wasted.
In addition to providing yourself with ample visibility, Sebastian says it鈥檚 as equally important to make sure the other cars on the road can see you. A good rule of thumb, he says, is: 鈥淚f you need to use your wipers, you need your lights on.鈥�
But a glowing dashboard doesn鈥檛 mean your lights are on. 鈥淢ake the physical switch to double check they鈥檙e on,鈥� adds Linsangan.
Another important aspect to safe winter driving is having a properly equipped vehicle: a 4x4 isn鈥檛 needed, but everyone should have winter tires鈥攊t鈥檚 important to remember it鈥檚 the law when driving east of Chilliwack.
And even though winter tires can seem like an unnecessary expense to some, Sebastian says it鈥檚 better to be safe than sorry and put them on your vehicle.
鈥淧roper tires help divers safely accelerate and decelerate,鈥� he adds. 鈥淪o don鈥檛 worry about saving money: not using winter tires will be more expensive when you have an accident.鈥�
鈥淎nd even if your vehicle isn鈥檛 well-suited (yet), it鈥檚 not too late,鈥� says Linsangan. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still plenty of winter to come.鈥�
Besides ensuring your vehicle is safe and can be seen, Sebastian and Linsangan both say the next most important thing to remember when driving in the winter is it鈥檚 not summer.
鈥淪peed-related crashes peak during the winter months,鈥� says Linsangan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not summer outside, so people need to adjust accordingly.鈥�
The best way to achieve that is to slow down and drive appropriately, says Sebastian. 鈥淭he speed limit is only for good weather conditions,鈥� he explains. 鈥淓verything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Plan your route accordingly and give yourself enough time so you won鈥檛 have to be in a hurry.鈥�
Sebastian also reminds winter drivers to increase the safe distance between cars to 10 seconds. 鈥淚n Scotland they visualize a 10-car space between vehicles and they have far less accidents,鈥� he says.
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For the most part, the Fraser Valley doesn鈥檛 experience winter as harshly as the rest of the province, but drivers still need to feel confidence in both their vehicle and ability to drive in the snow.
鈥淏efore getting into their car, drivers needs to ask themselves, 鈥楧o I feel comfortable driving in the snow and ice? Is my car safe enough?鈥� If the answer is 鈥楴o鈥�, it鈥檚 probably best to leave the car at home,鈥� says Linsangan, emphasizing safety is always the best course of action.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing wrong with saying, 鈥業鈥檓 not comfortable to go out driving in this (weather),鈥欌�� and either find an alternative method of transportation鈥攑ublic transit, car pooling, calling a cab鈥攐r staying avoid it all together by staying home.
Sarah.Gawdin@theprogress.com
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