Winter is right around the corner and the people charged with public safety have some tips for keeping you safe on the road.
The first step is to prepare your vehicle for winter driving conditions. That means carrying a first aid kit, emergency food and water, spare clothing, flares, matches, a shovel and battery cables, according to Sgt. Shane Worth of the Oceanside RCMP detachment.
Most of the roads in tVancouver Island's most heavily populated areas do not require winter tires (or chains), but drivers will need them if they plan to travel Highway 4.
“We want to get that out there that if you are driving on Highway 4, from here out to the west coast, that you make sure that you have winter tires on your vehicle and that they’re the proper tread depth and things like that,” Worth said.
Other highways that require snow tires or chains include the Malahat, Highway 18, Highway 14, Highway 28 and Highway 19 north of Campbell River.
Police advise drivers to take precautions — check road conditions on DriveBC, leave distance between yourself and the car ahead, give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination and slow down to meet the road conditions.
“Speed limits are made for ideal conditions. So it may say 90, it may say 100 up on the Inland [Island Highway] but we’re not doing 100 in the snow,” Worth said. “If you don’t need to go out on a snow day, don’t. Give the crews time to plow the roads and make it safe.”
ICBC reminds drivers to ensure they have their highlights on during a snowy day because daytime running lights are not bright enough in those conditions.
The days are getting shorter and it's important to keep visibility in mind especially if you are a pedestrian or a cyclist.
Oceanside RCMP noted a few incidents, over the past couple of winters, where a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle in snowy conditions where visibility was affected.
Police recommend wearing high visibility reflective clothing as a pedestrian and for cyclists, a light on the front and rear of the bike.
