CKPG
Road Safety

Road conditions cause increase in motor vehicle incidents

Jan 14, 2022 | 3:54 PM

PRINCE GEORGE- The warmer temperatures that followed the massive snowfall in the first week of January is causing some icy road and sidewalk conditions. Prince George RCMP Corporal Jennifer Cooper says the conditions led to a busy week for officers.

“We definitely experienced an upswing in motor vehicle accidents, mostly related to the icy weather conditions, the extreme cold that we were facing,” stated Cooper.

Thankfully, most of the incidents over the course of the past week were minor. Cooper is reminding residents that not all accidents require a call to the RCMP. Incidents should only be called in if there are serious injuries or if they block road access.

ICBC Road Safety and Community Coordinator, Doug Mac Donald, says there are some important things drivers need to do to keep themselves out of the ditches.

“We need to give ourselves more time in the mornings to get to where we’re going. We know that the roads are going to be slippery and we know that driving in town, we’re seeing some areas where it’s a little bit more icy,” he explained. “So we really need to reduce our speeds.”

Mac Donald also recommends pedestrians wear reflective gear as the sun sets to ensure drivers can see them. Both drivers and pedestrians are urged to make eye contact at intersections before advancing.