Winter Driving

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a driving column, and with the forecast calling for snow squalls and up to 25 cm of snow, it seems appropriate to address the topic of driving again.

The weather has been, for the most part, amazing this fall. It has been warmer than usual – with a few exceptions.

We did have a bit of snow last week but, other than causing a lot of complaining, it didn’t have any noticeable affect on driving.

The squall that is forecast will be different.

This will be our first taste of winter driving for this season. My guess is that few drivers are prepared for this.

Note: as I write this column the snow has started falling!

I base my guess on what I am seeing of people driving on bare pavement. Far too many people are driving too fast; driving 10 over the speed limit seems to be the norm, and many are driving even faster than that.

In addition to driving too fast, many drivers wait until the last moment to stop their vehicles.

I point this out to my driving students, reminding them that not only is there no prize for getting to a red light first, and that this style of driving wastes fuel and wears brakes prematurely, it puts them at risk of causing a rear-end collision should the driver ahead stop suddenly.

This style of driving can certainly result in a collision on slick snow-covered or slushy roads. Traction is greatly reduced, which affects steering, acceleration, and – most importantly – braking.

My first bit of advice, and that of police and driving experts everywhere, is to __S L O W__D O W N !

Wherever you are going, leave earlier and allow yourself more time to get there. There’s almost nowhere in this City that is more than a 20-25 minute drive, so don’t try to get there in 15 minutes.

You won’t be the only vehicle on the road, and even if you do slow down and drive with added caution, there may be others who haven’t done so. Watch out for them.

Driving is one of the few “multi-tasking” activities in which we engage.

Most often when someone says they are “multi-tasking,” what they are really doing is switching between several activities.
Driving requires one to perform several tasks simultaneously: your right foot is pressing the accelerator (or the brake), your hands are working the steering wheel and (hopefully) the signal light lever, as well as (occasionally) the windshield wiper control.

You are – or should be – looking not just straight ahead but all the way around your vehicle, spotting potential hazards and risks, looking ahead to follow your route and anticipate traffic control signs and lights, upcoming turns, and watching the flow of traffic.

Driving really is a complicated task, although most drivers have become accustomed to co-ordinating all these activities.

Some even believe they can put on makeup, eat, and/or chat (or worse, text) on their cell phone while doing all that is required to drive.

Add to that reduced visibility and slippery roads due to falling snow, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately most (*ahem*) “accidents” – police and road safety experts call these collisions, by the way – are merely fender-benders.

Still, even these shouldn’t be taken lightly. The cost of insurance is high, and filing a claim will almost certainly result in an increase in premiums, not to mention the loss of use of your vehicle while it is being repaired.

And, if you were in a hurry, you will instead be late. Likely very late, as Police will be responding to numerous collisions like yours, and you may be waiting quite a while for them to arrive.

Or maybe you and the other driver will agree that it was “just one of those things,” and that it was nobody’s fault due to the weather conditions. (Maybe one of you just doesn’t want the Police involved, for fear of being charged.)

Now you’re left to either pay for the repairs yourself or, as I have often seen around town, just live with a honking great dent in your vehicle.

All of which could have been avoided by slowing down and driving with added caution.

Some other tips:

• install snow tires
  
  - “All Season” tires are not snow tires, and they are not “good enough.” Think about it, there are 255 million passenger vehicles registered in the USA. At least half of the states do not get ANY snowfall, and another quarter of them only get snow occasionally.
  
  “All Season” tires are intended for those areas that get the occasional snowfall, not for places like the Sault that have snow on the ground for five months.
  
  
• install new windshield wipers
  
  - clearing the snow, slush and grime from your windshield is important to ensure you have the best visibility possible.
  
  
• completely sweep your vehicle off
  
  - please, please, PLEASE do not drive away with just a quick swipe of your hand over the spot of the windshield you think is “good enough.” It’s not. Neither is running the wipers to remove some of the snow. You need to see out the entire windshield – and all the other windows in your vehicle. Staring straight ahead through a “porthole” is not safe.
  
  - as well, driving around in a 2-tonne snowbank is unsafe. Other drivers need to see your vehicle, your head and tail lights, and your signal lights. They cannot see them if you don’t sweep off your vehicle. And a mini blizzard blowing off your roof onto the windshields of the vehicles behind you is dangerous, too.
  
  Buy yourself a decent snow brush. Avoid the $1.99 sticks with a few straggly bristles on the end -- the ones that look like Shrek's toothbrush. Spend ten or fifteen bucks to buy a good, strong brush that's up to the job of clearing the 10 cm or more that has accumulated on your vehicle.
  
  If you drive a taller vehicle -- a pickup, SUV or minivan -- consider buying a long-handled brush that will enable you to reach the snow on the roof.
  
  

  ---

  
  More winter driving tips can be found on the MTO website.
  
  

  ---

  
  
  Driving is a privilege, and that privilege carries with it a responsibility to drive safely.
  
  Please, s l o w _d o w n, and drive with care.
  
  You see, not all collisions are fender-benders. The life you save may be your own... or a loved one.
  
  
  But… that’s just my opinion.