Winter Driving in the Canadian Rockies

 By Michele Kadison

Staff Writer

Rockies.com

Snow lasts year round in the Canadian Rockies and it is best to always be prepared for cold weather.

CANADIAN ROCKIES (Rockies.com) – When visiting Canada in the winter, it is always best to take heed of basic driving safety rules.  Your editors at rockies.com know all too well the potential hazards of driving when the conditions are less than favorable.  Here is some information and advice for making your winter vacation travel safe and secure.

Canadian Roads During Snowfall

Busy highways and major urban roads in Canada are always given top priority for snow-clearing, with plows, sanders and graders all out in force before tending to the smaller streets.  In some cities, residential roadways are often minimally cleared, which causes a layer of packed snow to build up until it melts in warmer weather.

When the snowfall is light, sanding trucks are sent to spread sand or gravel along with salt over the roadways.  The salt will melt the snow and ice in addition to preventing the sand from freezing.  Sand on the roadway means traction for vehicles.

When snowfall is heavy, sanding trucks distribute salt and gravel or rock chips, with the gravel adding extra traction where it’s needed.

Make sure you stay far back from sanding trucks when you see their amber or red roof lights flashing.  This means they are in the process of sanding the road and if your vehicle is too close your windshield could be damaged by flying rock chips.  Stay back at least 15 feet (5 meters).

When snowfall is extremely heavy, snowplows and snow graders will be on the roads to scrape the snow off the road.  The blade on a snowplow is often wider than the truck, so pay attention when passing a snowplow or grader, being sure to leave extra room on the side of your vehicle.

When you see a white strip of snow and ice dividing lanes of traffic on a cleared road, you are in the presence of a “devil’s strip.”  Take care when you cross the strip as it is easy to lose control of your vehicle on this precarious area that lives up to its name.  Eventually the devil’s strip will be removed, but usually not until the last of the roads are cleared.

Often there is limited visibility in winter weather, caused by heavy snowfall, snow blowing across the road, or white-out conditions where bright but cloudy skies make it difficult to determine what is sky and what is snowy ground. In this condition, try to avoid driving altogether.  If you are caught in a poor visibility situation, try to keep the tail of the vehicle in front of you in view until you find an area where you can safely get off the road.  Drive slowly and carefully.

“Black ice” is another condition that is perilously dangerous.  This is when transparent ice covers part of the road, which is often the cause of a vehicle spinning out of control.  Black ice is rarely visible, but is usually present after a rainy winter day or evening where the water turns to ice overnight when temperatures dip to freezing.  Pay special attention to ramps, overpasses, and bridge decks which cool faster than other types of surfaces.

Preparing for your Winter Drive

The town of Banff nestled between snowy mountain peaks.

Winter brings skies that can be overcast and dull, or super sunny days that can be blinding as the light reflects off the white snow all around you.  Make sure you have a pair of Polaroid or other top quality sunglasses to filter out the glare for safe driving.  Because sunrise and sunset takes longer in higher latitudes, you may find yourself driving directly into the rising or setting sun for up to a half an hour or more.  A good pair of sunglasses can make the difference between being blinded by the glare or enjoying the benefits of a glorious day.

Warm driving gloves should also be at the top of your list.  After a night in freezing temperatures, your steering wheel is bound to be cold and it often takes up to 20 minutes for it to warm up once your vehicle’s heater is activated.  Good gloves will prevent frostbite when you touch a freezing cold door handle or while you clear your vehicle of snow and ice.

Make sure you have a good snow brush with an ice scraper at the opposite end.  You can buy a brush and scraper at any service station in Canada.  If for some reason you are missing this essential tool, brush off snow with the sleeve of your coat and use a credit card to scrape the windows.  Make sure you remove snow and ice from all windows as well as your side mirrors.  Take excess snow off your vehicle’s front bumper and roof to prevent blowing snow from hindering your visibility once you start driving.

Take some time before driving away from your parking spot in winter months.  Once you begin heating up the vehicle, your windows will fog over as they go from cold to warm temperatures.  Set your heater to the defog setting with the fan turned up high.  Direct your vents to the windows and watch them slowly clear to give you the visibility you need.  Wait for all the windows to clear before you take off.  Remember, you can be ticketed in Canada for driving without adequate visibility.

If you are renting a vehicle, make sure the windshield fluid reservoir is full.  Put windshield washer antifreeze into your own vehicle and keep a spare jug in the trunk.  Antifreeze should be used full strength, without adding water.

Safe Winter Driving

Warm up in a comfortable lodge after driving long distances in the winter.

The first thing to do before setting out is to check your local weather forecast and road report.  The forecast should let you know if the weather is about to change and the road report will inform you of current road conditions.  Listen to a local radio station or go online to get your information.  Check with Radio-Locator for a listing of Canadian radio stations.

Drive slowly!  Most Canadians drive 20 to 30 km/hr below the posted speed limit in wintry conditions.  Accelerate slowly and plan to stop at a point sooner than you would normally stop to allow for sliding forward if the road is slippery.  Tap your breaks gently to see how slick the road is – if you don’t feel the loss of traction, tap once again to make sure that you are indeed on firm ground.  Often in extremely icy conditions, even the lightest touch to the brake will cause skidding.  Control your speed by shifting to a lower gear rather than pressing the brake pedal.  Tap your brakes in a firm rhythm to stop quickly in an emergency situation.

Practice driving in an empty parking lot covered with snow where you can brake and turn on the slippery surface at varying speeds.  Try to make your vehicle skid so that you can practice recovering when you accidentally turn too fast or brake too hard.  This will build your confidence, which is essential when driving in Canadian winter conditions.

Vehicle Safety Features

Ever since 1989, all new vehicles sold in Canada come with daytime running lights.  This feature automatically turns on headlights when the engine is running.  The headlights operate on a lower setting than the full nighttime wattage, but enough so that vehicles are visible at all times on the road.  Often there are low light conditions during the day, with dawn and dusk lasting longer than areas that are not in such northerly latitudes.  All rental vehicles in Canada will have daytime running lights.  If your vehicle does not have them, turn your headlights on.  In some Canadian provinces, you are required by law to have your lights on at all times.

When your daytime running lights are on, your taillights are off.  Once you enter conditions such as rain, fog, and blowing snow, you must turn on your headlights to also get the benefit of visibility from the rear.

Anti-lock (ABS) brakes are found on most vehicles and are an ideal feature for safe winter driving.  When the ABS is activated, you will feel a vibration in the brake pedal.

Contrary to popular belief, four wheel drive vehicles are not always the safest vehicles to drive in winter conditions.  Most 4WD vehicles are trucks and SUVs, which are known to have poor traction over the rear wheels when not in 4WD mode.  Since it is not a good idea to always drive in 4WD, you are better off putting sandbags over the rear axles for extra traction.  The safer vehicle choice for winter driving is a front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicle.  No matter what kind of vehicle you drive, however, you still must follow all safety precautions.

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