For 25 years, I was expected to arrive at work regardless of the road conditions.
After all, as a constable, I was one of the people expected to be ready to help out if something happened on the highway.
Like me, I am guessing that most of us feel obligated to arrive at our jobs ready to work even if the road conditions are terrible due to bad weather.
I found myself second-guessing this desire as I nosed my vehicle out of the garage this morning and found the snow level to be higher than the bottom of the car.
My street had not been cleaned, the school bus route I pulled onto at the corner hadn’t been cleaned, and the feeder to the main highway was in less than ideal condition.
Was it worth the risk to go to work today?
Conditions varied, but at three major intersections, the curb lane suddenly disappeared completely under unplowed snow that was difficult to see until the last few metres.
Had I been unable to change lanes, I would have been forced to continue on into that snow. Becoming stuck would have been lucky, and losing control and causing a collision would have been worse.
Yes, I had reduced speed significantly, but others around me had not. They also presented a threat to me. Had they strayed out of the ruts and lost control, I was one of the objects they might run into.
Perhaps the smarter decision for me would have been not to have left the garage in the first place.
For more information on this topic, visit www.drivesmartbc.ca. Questions or comments are welcome by e-mail to comments@drivesmartbc.ca.
Tim Schewe is a retired RCMP constable with many years of traffic law enforcement experience. His column appears Friday.
