Winter drivingAs 2022 Comes to a close, RMG would like to wish all our clients a very Merry Christmas and joyous holiday season. May 2023 bring you all happiness and prosperity.. These bulletins make excellent tool box talks and may help identify safety issues on your site before they become injuries.

Winter driving tips

  • Be alert and well rested when getting behind the wheel and always wear your seat belt
  • Poor visibility in winter can make driving challenging so it’s important to be vigilant and alert when driving
  • Many winter holidays include parties that serve alcohol or cannabis products. If you consume any of these products, do not drive. Only drive if you’re sober

See and be seen

  • Before you start driving, make sure to remove all the snow from your vehicle including on the hood, roof, windows, and lights. Clear all windows of frost and fog. This can help you see better on the road and prevent snow from sliding onto your windshield or on to other cars while you drive. It could also save you a ticket, since some provinces will issue fines to drivers that don’t clear all the snow off their vehicles
  • If driving becomes too risky, look for a safe place to stop until it’s safe to drive again. Find a place to safely pull off the road as soon as you can. It’s best to stop at a rest area or exit the roadway and take shelter in a building
  • If visibility becomes really poor, turn on your headlights to make your vehicle easier to see

Adapt your driving

  • Match your speed to the road and weather conditions
  • To reduce any risk of accidents, avoid passing other vehicles when weather and road conditions are poor. When you drive on a snow-covered road, there may be more snow or slush between lanes, which can make changing lanes harder

Safe braking

Proper braking is important to safe winter driving. Since it takes longer to stop on a slippery road, you should:

  • leave more distance than normal between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you
  • pay close attention to the road – as far ahead as you can
  • make sure that you don’t release the brake pedal when the vehicle is out of control. Focus on steering with the brake pedal applied hard

Skidding

Even careful and experienced drivers can skid, so be prepared. Skidding can be caused by panic braking when you’re trying to avoid an obstacle on the road. To reduce skidding in bad weather, you should:

  • slow down. Allow extra travel time and be very careful when you brake, change lanes, make turns, and take curves
  • put more distance between you and the vehicle in front of you
  • avoid forceful braking or sudden, jerking movement of the wheel

If the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) comes on, this means your vehicle is trying to prevent skidding and loss of control. Slow down and drive more cautiously. ESC is standard equipment on vehicles manufactured from 2012 onwards. When the vehicle begins to skid, ESC applies the brakes to one or more wheels, or reduces engine power, or both, to help keep the vehicle under control. If you get stuck, turn off your ESC.

In extreme weather don’t use cruise control. Don’t rely on other driver assistance technologies, like blind spot monitoring or lane keeping assistance, as they may not work in bad weather.

Be prepared to call for help

Keep your phone fully charged and have a charging cable in your vehicle just in case. If you’re in an emergency, call 911

 

To learn more and for assistance preparing and implementing a sound safety plan and policies appropriate for your workplace, contact your RMG Consultant, or any member of the RMG team at info@ravengropup.ca. We’ll respond promptly.