Since the snow began to fall earlier this month, the region’s emergency services workers have been a bit busier on the region’s roadways.
As of Nov. 25, two weeks after the snow fell, Westlock RCMP have responded to 15 collisions — averaging slightly more than one per day, Staff Sgt. Bryan Clayton said.
“Almost half of them were related to I don’t want to call it road conditions, it’s people not driving to the road conditions,” he added.
One collision resulted in vehicle occupants being taken to the hospital.
Clayton said while seven of the total 15 collisions in the past two weeks can be attributed to drivers failing to drive for the conditions, the numbers from the first two weeks of snow last year are quite different.
There were fewer collisions related to road conditions last year, with just five, but there were a total of 27 collisions during the same time frame. Most of those were motorists hitting deer or minor collisions in parking lots.
Police come to expect a rise in the number of collisions once the temperature drops below zero and the snow starts to fall, and it is in most cases related to driver error.
“Especially during the first snowfall, it seems to me people have to take some time to get used to the fact the roads have winter conditions and they should be adjusting their driving pattern to fit those conditions,” Clayton said.
He suggested there are several different adjustments drivers need to make to stay safe on the slippery roads. Drivers should slow down, ensure their windows are clear of snow to maximize visibility, be aware of the road conditions and make sure if visibility is obscured during a storm or otherwise, to drive accordingly.
“Of course the surface of the road makes a big difference. It may look like payment, but it may have a skim of ice on it or some black ice, or even if it’s just wet it’s going to be slippery,” he said.
While these are all suggestions that anyone who has been driving for more than one year should already be aware of, the pattern of increase collisions during winter persists.
“We’re all Albertans, and we should know what it’s like to drive in the wintertime,” he said. “That means if you’re going to take a trip somewhere or even just across town, just make sure you leave earlier. Allow yourself a lot of extra time and drive slower.”
