Calgarians stickhandle tricky roads
Only the greatest of optimists might be holding out hope for a salvaged hockey season. That hasn’t stopped the folks at Allstate Insurance Company of Canada from picking up on hockey-style rivalries though.
The insurance provider has dug up collision statistics of five NHL cities — Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto — and found Calgary drivers are getting into fewer collisions than any of the other major cities.
Calgary’s collision rate, based on Allstate customer claims between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2012, is 5.63 per cent versus Edmonton at 6.02 per cent, Ottawa at 6.10 per cent, Toronto at 6.12 per cent and Montreal with 8.54 per cent.
Part of Allstate’s plan is to make people aware of the need to be safe when on the road.
“The Urban Safe Driving Challenge has given us the opportunity to open a discussion about the importance of driving safely,” says Anthony Chan, Allstate agency manager at the Harvest Hills branch in Calgary. “While there are less collisions in Calgary, we’re seeing an increase in severity. These are higher-speed collisions resulting in more injuries.”
As part of the Canada Safety Council’s National Safe Driving Week earlier this month, Allstate issued a number of tips to help all Canadians improve their driving habits. First, just drive. “If you’re not distracted and paying attention — as in, you’re aware that you’re driving — it’s more likely going to be a safer ride,” says Chan.
In September 2011, Alberta introduced legislation which prohibits talking on a hand-held cellphone while in control of a motor vehicle.
Second, adapt to road conditions — good and bad.
“The weather can change very quickly, and when it’s snowing or near freezing, you cannot drive the way you always do,” Chan says. “We see a lot of rear-end collisions, and that’s human error. Sure, the road conditions might not be great, but drivers need to adjust and keep their distance on snow or ice.”
He notes studies that have shown more fatal collisions occur when the driving conditions are optimal, simply because drivers assume they’ll have better control on dry pavement, making even riskier decisions about speed. Third, stay patient. “When you’re driving, just relax,” Chan says. “We might get angry when someone cuts in front of us, but we don’t know the reason they did that. Just take a breath, and remain focused on your own driving.” Fourth, maintain your vehicle. Ensuring brakes, hoses, lights, battery and windshield wipers are all in peak condition makes commuting to work a safer proposition.
“Winter tires make a big difference in cold and icy conditions,” says Chan. “If you’re running allseason tires, be sure to keep an even larger gap when there’s ice and snow on the roads.”
Also be sure to keep those tires properly inflated. Properly inflated tires ensure the relatively small contact patch is doing all it can in given road conditions. Finally, Don’t drink and drive. “Plan ahead and make alternative arrangements to get back home,” says Chan. “There are quite a few options available, including designating a driver or taking a taxi.”
There are also services such as Keys Please, where a team of two arrives at your location; one drives your vehicle and passengers while the partner follows in a chase vehicle.