Town of Mono, ON (Don Butt) It is a good time to talk about Winter driving. There are so many things different about winter driving; Snow on the road, maybe ice, snowing ( or sleet) blowing snow, bad visibility, black ice or a combination of these. Drive slower than summer, keep a close watch for ice. Regular ice can be seen but black ice is not visible. This ice often occurs near bodies of water, on bridges or long flat areas near lakes, etc. The only way to safely check for it is to pull over gently and step on the roadway while hanging on to the door; it will become evident quickly. Drive very slow and don’t make any sudden turns. Having a vehicle equipped with ABS brakes is a real advantage on ice or slippery snow.
When it snows (or sleet) it is wise to slow down and if visibility gets worse, pull well off the road, if you can, or move to where you can, put on your hazard lights, and wait ‘til visibility improves. If you have to go out, check the weather for the area you will travel in and decide whether it is worth the chance of an accident. Can it be put off to a better day? Even on going to work, call in. Your boss would rather have a live employee than a dead one.
Make sure your windshield wipers are in good shape and equip your vehicle with snow tires. New snow tires are designed for ice or snow unlike older tires which were actually dangerous on ice. A really good pair of all-weather tires may work well for short runs on paved highways but the new winter snow tires are much better. Keep some sand or other traction material in a metal or heavy plastic container in your trunk for those icy spots that you just can’t pull away from. An extra jug of washer fluid won’t go amiss either.
Happy and safe winter driving !!
Safety Tip Keep your fuel tank at least half full to prevent condensation build-up in the tank. (This tip comes to you from Doug Annett of Burlington, an expert on safe driving).
Phone Nos. (a list of valuable numbers to have)
For all emergencies – 911
To report non-emergency incidents or bad drivers 1-800-310-1122
Or by cell phone only *677
Road Watch
To report unsafe driving behaviour contact OPP Communications Centre:
*OPP (*677) on your Cell or
1-888-310-1122 on your Landline.
If you prefer a paper form, our forms are available at Mono Plaza and OPP at Primrose. Please use them, the life you may save could be your own or a loved one.
Don Butt is currently the Public Relations and Media Contact for the Mono Community Policing Committee. If you would like more information on anything covered in Don’s Column or would like to see a topic of public interest or safety covered; contact him here.
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