Caution is advised during winter-driving conditions
As I type, The Weather Network is calling for another week of temperatures ranging from night time lows of -23 C to day time highs of -9 C. Add the wind chill and it looks to be another week of cold temperatures. We all know how to dress for the weather but the past two weeks reaffirm that people do not or refuse to adjust their driving habits for the winter conditions.
This is not isolated to Lethbridge. I make it a habit to scan the news of the other prairie cities given that we are all facing very similar conditions related to the drug crisis and challenges to public safety. The similarities extended to slippery road conditions over the past two weeks as the Prairies remain caught in a cold snap. News outlets in Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg are a sampling of agencies that were reporting on slippery road conditions, the need for people to drive safely and police responding to more than usual collisions as a result.
I have had numerous citizens share their stories over the past two weeks of how they narrowly avoided being in a collision. The most common being almost getting ‘T-boned’ at an intersection when a driver approaching from the side was unable to stop for a red light or stop sign.
Our Collision Reporting Centre has been very busy, as have our officers. This has led to a mix of public commentary on what the police should or should not be doing. There are some wanting us to be more present on Whoop-Up Drive during the commute times and going after those who do not adhere to the speed limit. There are others that do not want us on WhoopUp Drive because the shock factor of emergency lights cause an instinctive reaction to hit the brakes, which if done of slippery conditions, may trigger a collision.
Throw into this already heated topic — a favourite of Lethbridge commuters — the beloved zipper merge and one can just imagine the banter. An accident near the zipper lane results in police having to attend and there is no lack of commentary on how the police ruined a commute because of where we had to position cruisers and how much it slowed traffic.
The reality of investigating a crash on Whoop-Up Drive, Crowsnest Trail or any other busy artery in slippery conditions, is that no matter how many people slow down there are always some that will carry on driving as though it’s 20 above and the roads are clear. Many of the collisions occur in the valley stretch of WhoopUp and Crowsnest when you mix slippery road conditions with inertia or gravity.
And yes, we do position cruisers to slow drivers down to protect the people in the initial accident, the officers investigating the accident, the road maintenance personnel that may be required and the unsung heroes in a collision, tow truck drivers who have to position their trucks to remove the damaged vehicles.
This can all be avoided if drivers slow down and exercise caution when driving. Drivers need to also know what their vehicle is capable of doing in slippery conditions. There is a common assumption that fourwheel drive or all-wheel drive means a vehicle will also brake and turn better. If the vehicle is on packed snow that has taken on ice-like qualities, that is just ✦not
true. Physics will prevail. Inertia, gravity and the laws around friction or a lack may contribute to a collision.
With Reading Week taking place in many of the schools, we can expect higher than normal vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Whether it be in Lethbridge, or should you travel anywhere in the Prairies this week, I would like to echo what the media and police in other cities are conveying — slow down, use caution and be aware of winter-driving conditions. If we all do this, we can limit the number of collisions on our streets and highways.