The province, ICBC and police are joining together in an awareness campaign to remind Southern Interior drivers to be prepared and adjust their speed when driving on snowy and icy roads this fall and winter.
On average, in October there are 35 crashes involving injuries or death in the Southern Interior due to people driving too fast for the conditions and that number more than triples in December as the driving conditions worsen.
At the Justice Institute’s driver training facility in the Lower Mainland earlier, guests were invited to experience first-hand how various driving speeds impact a driver’s ability to react to an emergency situation on wet roads. The results were clear – the faster you go, the harder it will be to deal with the unexpected, such as changing lanes to avoid a crash. With icy and snowy roads, it becomes even more challenging.
With colder temperatures come more difficult driving conditions – especially on rural roads. This is a good reminder to take a few extra minutes and slow down. Many drivers don’t realize that when they drive too fast for the road conditions their risk of crashing increases significantly. The reality is that the posted speed limit is only for ideal or dry road conditions. Help make our roads safer by slowing down – you’ll see more of the road and be better equipped to respond to the unexpected.
Here are more tips from ICBC for fall and winter driving:
When driving on snowy and icy roads, increase your following distance to at least four seconds.
Slow down. Remember the faster you drive, the longer it takes to stop on snowy roads.
Make sure your windshield wipers are in good working order and you have sufficient windshield wiper fluid.
Check that your tires are inflated at the correct pressure and appropriately rated for the weather conditions.
ICBC invests in road safety awareness campaigns and police enforcement activities to promote smart driving behaviour and help save lives. Visit icbc.com for more tips.
* Statistics are police reported incidents over the last five years (2006 to 2010).
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