Viva Vitality: Make safe driving your New Year’s resolution
By Laura Lukye on February 7, 2020.
laura.lukye@ahs.ca When we get into our vehicles, safe driving should be our No. 1 concern. And in the winter time, safe driving is no joke. Drivers in Alberta can tell you winter driving can be unpredictable and at times very scary. So this winter season make sure you are prepared and ready for what lies ahead. Here are some tips to help you with this resolution 1. Albertans know very well that the weather can change quickly, so before you head out on the road check Alberta 511 – 511.alberta.ca – for any weather updates and road conditions. 2. Plan ahead and leave extra time – this means you need to SLOW DOWN in winter conditions. Posted speed limit signs are designed for ideal conditions not for winter driving. Slowing down will give you more time to react to unpredictable events that could happen on icy and snowy roads. 3. Don’t use cruise control – cruise control is designed to be used during perfect road conditions. With winter driving you need to have very fast reaction time especially if you hit black ice on the road. If you are using cruise control you don’t want your car to accelerate at the wrong time. 4. Clean off your vehicle. Not only are you putting yourself in danger if you don’t clean your vehicle off, you are also putting others in danger. You need to have clear vision when driving. If your windows are covered in snow this will impact your vision, and blowing snow from your vehicle also will reduce visibility for the other drivers. It’s worth noting it is illegal to not have your vehicle cleaned off. 5. Install winter tires and prepare your vehicle. This is something that really hit home for me last year. My children’s teacher was stranded on the highway after one of our crazy winter storms blew in. She was there for more than 10 hours. She sent a write up home with the students on things she wished she did better to prepare for that time stranded on the highway. She said make sure you have extra supplies in your vehicle such as a blanket, emergency food, phone charger, extra clothes, gloves, toque, booster cables, shovel and first aid kit, and make sure your vehicle is gassed up. In winter, never drive with less than half a tank of gas. Make sure you are letting someone know where you’re going and when you are planning to arrive. She got home safely, but the time spent on the highway stranded isn’t something she wants to remember. Winter tires are so crucial in our climate, they make sure you ride safer and make a big difference for grip, handling, traction and all-around confidence. For more tips on winter driving you can go to saferoads.com or if you want to see what your winter driving IQ is take the AMA quiz https://ama.ab.ca/auto-and-driving/fleet-safety-winter-driving-quiz-december-2016 Laura Lukye is a Health Promotion Facilitator with Alberta Health Services. She can be reached by e-mail, laura.lukye@ahs.ca 11-10
