Buckle up, you are in for a ride

Submitted by Gary Miller, Retired Service Advisor & Certified Automotive Specialist

While looking outside and seeing the white of winter, I observed a person driving their vehicle, slipping and sliding around, going way too fast. The speed limit on that section of the street is 30 kph, not 70 or 80 as is what I could estimate of their speed to be.

I also had just heard about the bus accident where 4 passengers were killed and many injured. In the icy conditions which we experience in our mountainous part of BC, circumstances can change in a heartbeat. Having travelled in excess of 400,000 kilometres on the highways of Western

Canada I witnessed massive and quick changes of the highways and secondary roads. In simple terms, things can get pretty ugly and bite you severely in the blink of an eye.

I’ve heard criticism of Vancouver and surrounding area drivers and all I can say is “don’t be so smug.” The cold weather creates the very worst of driving conditions especially at the freeze/ melt point of -1 to +1 temperatures. You have absolutely no traction combined with the hills in the area and a mass of people wanting to get home—it is the formula for pure chaos. I have witnessed vehicles stopped at the top of a hill, even buses that had to let off all the passengers suddenly go sliding down the road most of them empty because they thought their precautionary measures were adequate. I would absolutely call these circumstances “accidents.” If we from the interior, enter the big city under driving conditions like these, we may get bitten too.

Yes, some people did not have proper snow tires and unfortunately they are not allowed to use studded tires if you live in the lower mainland.

This brings me back to the bus accident. The people that survived or had minor injuries wore their seat belts. Being strapped to a fixed mounting prevents a person from tumbling around especially in a spill or roll over. We wear seat belts in our personal vehicles so why not on the bus? Just for the record, the driver does request all passengers to put it on, but unfortunately it is hard to monitor compliance while driving the vehicle. Unlike an aircraft, there are no assistants able to walk up and down the aisles to see who is wearing or not. Sometimes it is a bit of a challenge or rather a hard choice to meet a schedule compared to safe travel. Because the road conditions can change so fast, accidents can happen, so be prepared by wearing your belts and allowing time for the unexpected.

Just for the record, airbags were not mandatory in Canada because 94 percent of Canadian travellers wear a seat belt. The biggest issue for the use of airbags was, less than 50 percent of Americans would hook up their belts which are considered a primary restraint item. To provide additional protection, air bags were legislated in the US and since most of our vehicles are manufactured there, airbags were incorporated into Canadian vehicles. If you notice, printed on your vehicles airbag, are the letters SRS which is a secondary protective device. The letters stand for “supplemental restraint system.” It is amazing to watch car racers who have a horrific end over end crash and just get up and walk away, their multi contact restraint system (belts) held them in place.

I know this can’t be said enough: slow down, take a big patience pill, prepare your vehicle for winter driving, wear your seat belt, include an updated survival kit and be sure to clean the snow off of your vehicle including the roof and the hood. Nuff said!

Any concerns or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at bigsix8280@ yahoo.ca.