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By Veronica Beltran

road safety

Road tips for this winter

Sep 30, 2019 | 2:39 PM

RICHMOND–Fall is here and winter is near and road conditions are bound to change.

According to a release from Shift into Winter an organization aimed at providing tips and resources to motorists on how to stay safe on the road, the chances of being injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash in BC goes up dramatically in the winter.

Shift into Winter says that on average, the number of casualty crashes due to driving too fast for the conditions increases to about 236 crashes in December from around 126 in October–an 87 percent increase taken from reported police crashes from 2014-2018.

The Winter Driving Safety Alliance (an alliance made up of emergency services, insurance companies, the government and other associations) is launching their 11th annual Shift into Winter Campaign. The campaign coincides with the law requiring passenger vehicles driving on designated highways in BC to have four matched winter tires with at least 3.5mm of tread depth starting on October 1, while commercial vehicles must be equipped with chains.

Tips from The Winter Driving Safety Alliance:

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• Install a set of four matched winter tires
• Give your vehicle a pre-season maintenance check-up
• Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle
• Road conditions change, so be prepared and plan ahead
• Slow down–The posted speed limit is the maximum speed under ideal driving conditions. If inclement weather hits, slow down and drive with extra care
• Maintain a safe following distance – Look ahead and keep at least four seconds of distance between you and the vehicle in front.