re-mem-brance (ri-mem-‘br-ens) noun. the act or process of remembering the state of being remembered Today (Nov. 21) is National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims in Canada– a day set aside to remember those killed or seriously injured on Canadian roads. It’s also a time to consider the victims’ friends and families who are left struggling with the sudden loss of people they love. We choose not to use the word “accident” because these crashes are more often...
Having trouble viewing this video in your browser? Try watching it directly on our YouTube channel. The Coquihalla (BC Highway 5 from Hope to Merritt) is the province’s busiest mountain pass. At more than 1,200 metres in elevation, it’s also one of the routes hit hardest by heavy snowfall and other winter conditions. Fear not… we have a plan, and a team of professionals to execute what we call: The Coquihalla Snowshed Protocol. When the snow flies, the...
We’ve heard from a few folks recently asking how they can travel the Coquihalla safely during the winter. Apart from our usual recommendations for proper tires, checking DriveBC, keeping a full tank of gas and driving to conditions, we thought we could help travellers make better decisions around their travel by identifying some of the winter conditions found on the Coquihalla and explaining how they might impact travel. So, we asked our Weather Services Specialist, Simon Walker (who worked...
We want to show you how to measure your tires’ tread depth. It’s painless, quick and easy – heck, we were even able to fit it all in this 15-second video. Winter tires are important, but only if you have enough tread. Legally, you cannot have less than 3.5 mm (approximately 5/32 of an inch) on most highways in British Columbia between October 1 and March 31. If you barely have the legal minimum depth of tread, you should...
It’s official. Summer is gone and autumn is upon us. A quick look around our BC HighwayCams on DriveBC confirms it. What does the first day of fall look like in BC? It looks like gold at the Peace View Rest Area (above). Stay gold Peace View, stay gold… Fog has settled in at Wire Cache. Yes, that is snow at Heckman Summit in the Southern Interior. (Don’t sweat it – make the Shift into Winter now and you’ll...
A roadside expert generously shared his knowledge with us recently, to help drivers #ShiftintoWinter, and keep everyone safer on B.C.’s roads. Larry Styba rescues vehicles as part of his job as a tow truck operator, trainer and public relations person with Maple Ridge Towing. A WreckMaster Level 6/7 certified towing and recovery operator, Larry sees and hears how people end up in mishaps that require his help. He also knows what’s needed to drive large vehicles in winter’s most...
Every winter, we are very vocal about how important it is for drivers to equip themselves and their vehicles for winter. It’s not all talk; we also walk the walk (or, drive the drive?). To show how we prepare for winter, we asked our ministry staff in Prince George to guide us through the process of arranging fall maintenance for their fleet vehicles. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has about 500 fleet vehicles across British Columbia, and each...
There’s been a lot of tire talk lately, which is great. Winter is coming, and you obviously want to be prepared. We want you to be prepared, too. So, we thought we’d go over the four types of tires you are permitted to use when driving high mountain passes and other signed BC highways requiring winter tires for passenger vehicles. 1. Studded Winter Tires How to identify? 3-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol on sidewall and metal studs on tread Perform best...
