> |
Click to download "BC Forest Safety Council Warns Winter Driving Conditions Require Better Driving Habits" Press Release (pdf) - LINK |
|
|
BC Forest Safety Council Warns Winter Driving Conditions
Require Better Driving Habits
Vancouver, B.C. – (October 12, 2007) – With frosty weather beginning to hit parts of the province, the BC Forest Safety Council is reminding all drivers to adopt safe winter driving practices.
MaryAnne Arcand, director of the Council’s Forestry TruckSafe and Northern Initiatives program, says a number of crashes over this past Thanksgiving weekend are attributed to changing weather conditions combined with drivers not taking extra precautions.
“Complacency and overlooking simple driving tools and techniques is what gets people hurt,” says Arcand. “If we all drive according to the season, we can make it safer for everyone on the roads.”
Safe winter driving habits recommended by the Forest Safety Council include:
- slowing down, and giving yourself more time to get where you need to go
- leaving extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you
- using headlights at all times because of shorter daylight hours and potential foggy weather
- replacing windshield wipers because streaky, patchy, partially cleared windows add to drivers’ risk
- cleaning off all lights, windows and mirrors in order to see and be seen
Arcand also recommends drivers equip their vehicles with proper snow tires and, especially in the case of truck drivers, carry chains. From October 1 to April 30, it is mandatory for transport trucks to carry chains and the fine for non-compliance is $121 as well as two points against a driver’s license.
“None of us look forward to winter driving conditions, so we put off using season-appropriate driving practices for as long as possible,” says Arcand. “No more denial, it’s time to change our thinking and adopt safe winter driving habits.”
Next week, the Council’s TruckSafe program will be launching a series of radio ads that will run across the province. The ads will remind drivers about how to safely share the road and will provide various tips and techniques that can be adopted to make driving in the winter a safe experience for everyone.
To find out more information about forestry health and safety and the BC Forest Safety Council visit the Council’s web site at www.bcforestsafe.org.
The BC Forest Safety Council is a not-for-profit society dedicated to promoting forest health and safety. It was founded and is supported by all major forestry organizations in BC and works with forestry employers, workers, contractors and the provincial government and agencies to implement changes necessary to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries in the forest sector.
For more information:
|
