Snowbound

Posted on November 27, 2006
Filed Under /dev/null/ | 69 views |

Being from the east I’m absolutely loving the snowfall that’s hit Vancouver over the past two days - about 20cm or so of wet, heavy, snow that reminds me very much of the beginnings of winter in Toronto. It’s great!

However it does seem to have stymied this city a bit, particularly the drivers. This won’t be another “Vancouver has the worst drivers in Canada” screed but rather hopefully the culmination of years of Ontario driving experience for a city who apparently doesn’t see these conditions very often. Permit me to humbly suggest that if you’re a driver in Vancouver:

1. Drive slowly, brake far earlier than you otherwise would. And if you lock up your brakes, you will slide. From the window of our appartment this morning we watched three cars in a row slide into the intersection on 12th as the drivers locked up their brakes and, probably through inexperience, stand on them. Lucky for them traffic was light.

2. If you’re driving on summer tires or “all-weather tires” stay on the well-travelled roads or better yet just stay home. Given the inclination of the roads in and around Vancouver you’re just as likely to slide off the hill as you are make it up them.

3. Four wheel drive doesn’t help you brake and it doesn’t help you turn, it only helps you move forward in a straight line. Watch the news tonight, count the number of 4wd SUVs in ditches and in accidents and you’ll see that most people don’t understand this. Your Escalade might get you moving in these conditions but the best 4wd in the world can’t overcome the laws of physics when it comes to turning and stopping.

5. Finally, don’t drive if you don’t have to. I love driving, I love the snow, I drive a Jeep with ice tires and 4wd and from what I saw today you couldn’t get me on the road unless it was an emergency. There’s just too many people with too little experience and the wrong equipment out there right now sliding all over the place.

Here’s to more snow in Vancouver, it’s starting to feel like winter!

(And lest you think I’m picking on Vancouver drivers, allow me to disabuse you of that notion. One just needs drive up the 427 in Toronto after any snowfall to know that Toronto drivers fare no better.)

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