Liam's Lowdown: Revy, drive safe

Revelstoke has an unusual relationship with the highway.

Highway 1 is the road that connects our city to the rest of Canada. Without it, we’d survive. It would just take a lot longer getting to the Bulk Barn or Jade Buffet Of China in Salmon Arm. You know, the important stuff.

It isn’t mentioned on the tourist brochure, but paying attention to DriveBC in Revelstoke is a must.

Especially this year.

Highway 1 usually closes every second day or so due to avalanches or accidents. Sometimes both.

It isn’t surprising, as the city has received more than 300 centimetres of snow since Dec. 1. Last week, my window was buried and had to be dug out. Although it’s on the main floor, when I got locked out last summer, I had to break in through that window by standing on the shoulders of my friend Jake and jiggling the window open. It won’t be long until my house becomes a snow cave.

Revelstoke is a winter city, but seeing how certain people drive you might second guess it.

Last week, the Revelstoke RCMP handed out 59 tickets during an enforcement and education campaign: 21 related to speeding relative to the snowy/icy conditions, seven from an obstructed view (which probably means uncleared windshields), 10 for obstructed lamps, 10 due to excessive amount of snow on the roof and two for inadequate winter tires.

Now, the people ticketed might not live in Revelstoke. However, judging from what I’ve seen drive by me the last couple of months, they might. After a snowstorm, it’s common for people to leave too much snow on their vehicles before going for a spin. I get it. You just want to get to the ski resort and it’s a short drive.

You’re just going to the liquor store. Or you’re going to buy some pizza.

You tell yourself, you can see fine. It will probably keep snowing and you’ll just have to clear the car off again later.You got this. Until you don’t.

A teenager was run over last week, and it appears the driver didn’t even notice. They just carried on and drove away. How you would not notice your front and back tires running over a person baffles the mind.

That driver might want to take some driving lessons. Or maybe take up winter biking instead.

Perhaps their window was clear and they were distracted by something else like a text. Perhaps they just thought it was a pothole or chunk of ice. Perhaps they were streaming the new Cats movie. Perhaps they were decorating a cake. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

Yet, having a partially cleared windshield or a doghouse-sized block of snow on the roof that will slide down onto your windshield at a stop sign increases the chances of you hitting someone.

The snow from your roof could even fly off and hit the car behind you. There are many possibilities.

Luckily in the case of the hit-and-run, the teen only had minor injuries.

Point is, don’t be lazy. If you’re going to be late because you took the time to completely clear off your car, so be it. If that gets you fired, it’s probably not a place you should work at, or you’ve got other problems that you aren’t addressing.

Although the following phrase pre-dates Spiderman, the movie made it popular: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

For Revelstoke, the saying can be rejigged. “With great snow comes great clearing responsibility.”

You tell it Uncle Ben.

@pointypeak701 liamm.harrap@revelstokereview.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Revelstoke Review