As B.C. enters the holiday season, a safe driving organization is reminding drivers to consider if travel is always worth it.
Considering whether or not to drive depending on conditions is an important part of winter driving, accordion to Road Safety at Work (RSW). They say the average of crash deaths double because of fast driving in the fall to early winter and planning ahead can help prevent this.
“Most crashes are preventable if we prepare and plan ahead for the conditions we will face,” said Louise Yako, spokesperson for the Winter Driving Safety Alliance’s annual Shift into Winter campaign.
Yako added that slowing down to match road conditions and planning ahead can help prevent crashes.
With the holiday season around the corner, more people are travelling to visit friends and family, according to RSW. They say the biggest thing drivers can do is not drive if it is non-essential and weather conditions are dangerous.
They also recommend checking DriveBC.ca for traffic and road conditions, and other preparations:
- Make sure your vehicle has four matched winter tires with the 3-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol.
- Maintain a safe following distance of at least four seconds
- Keep an emergency driving kit in your vehicle
- Slow down around highway maintenance equipment like sanding trucks. Only pass when it’s safe.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming says safe winter driving is more important this winter because of recent weather events.
“Particularly after the challenging weather events we experienced in November, drivers must take extra caution,” said Flemming. “This will ensure the safety of drivers and those around them – including the maintenance contractors and traffic control personnel who are working around the clock to restore our infrastructure following the recent storm damage.”
To learn more about holiday season driving, visit shiftintowinter.ca.
