An initiative to keep you safe and moving during the winter season, and the work we do to make sure you are.
From world-class skiing to west coast storm watching, there are many reasons for visiting BC in winter. So it’s no surprise folks from out-of-province ask us questions like, “We’re from Alberta – do BC winter driving tire and chain regulations apply to us?” Short answer: yes! Simple as that, right? Well, yes, but we also thought it a good idea to compile some more information that would be useful to people who may not be familiar with what winter...
Have you ever seen overshoes, ice cleats or the old-style rubber covers people used to wear over their dress shoes to prevent slips and falls on ice? Did you know you can apply that same idea to your vehicle’s tires? Here’s a rundown of some traction devices that can help keep you and your vehicle travel safely and smoothly along in winter. TRACTION DEVICES FOR PASSENGER VEHICLES AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (5,000 – 11,794 kg LGVW) Chains We recommend that...
It’s no secret, we’re big on safety for the travelling public. In fact, it’s our driving concern, and weather information is a big part of that. One way we help drivers stay safe is by closely monitoring environmental conditions on our roads with our Roadside Weather Stations (RWS). A key part of our Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) – these stations collect data on weather and pavement conditions from strategic locations. This information is a powerful tool for operational decision...
Much like naively donning shorts and a t-shirt at the slightest sign of spring, the temptation to swap out winter tires can be strong. But be careful: the consequences of prematurely exposing Vitamin-D deprived skin with fewer threads pales in comparison to facing severe winter weather with unsuitable summer treads. Let’s face it, Old Man Winter doesn’t care what our calendar claims. He’s been known to revel in pranking people travelling through mountain passes on April 1 (yes, April...
Ministry staff and our highway maintenance contractors work around the clock to keep travellers on BC highways moving safely, but sometimes extreme weather (or other emergency conditions) create special circumstances that can pose challenges for motorists. When that happens we place a specific travel advisory on DriveBC to help bring attention to the event and help travellers make better plans based on those conditions. We take a number of factors into consideration when we post a travel advisory, such...
We’ve introduced better chain-up regulations for commercial vehicles, which will provide more clarity for professional drivers this winter. That means safer roads, too. The changes come in the wake of one of our worst winters for highway closures. Unprepared commercial trucks caused 41 highway closures because they were either poorly equipped or totally unequipped with chains. In some cases, this was due to the driver’s inability to install the chains properly. Loss of traction in winter conditions leads to...
Commercial drivers on the Coquihalla have a lot more room to equip their vehicles with chains now that the Box Canyon chain-up facility has expanded from 14 to more than 70 parking spaces. But the larger site will be unchartered territory for many professional drivers this winter. Whiteout conditions combined with road markings hidden by snow and ice could make identifying parking spaces and through lanes difficult. So, to help you prepare for the next big winter storm on...
As winter weather begins to make its way across BC, impacting our driving conditions with snow, ice, rain, fog, etc., it’s always best to be prepared with a safety plan. And those plans are ready for winter. The Shift into Winter resource website (for all your “ready for winter driving” needs) has released a new document called, Winterizing Your Safety Plan: Information for Commercial Carriers. This is great information to know and follow up on because, as an employer...
