Remember that catchy fun tune by Simon and Garfunkel called the 59th Street Bridge Song? You know the one: “Slow down, you move too fast, you’ve got to make the morning last … ba-da-da-da-da-da-da, feelin’ groovy.” Well, in case you have not yet fully realized it, you do need to slow down, especially on the roads. The plethora of spin-outs, roll-overs and collisions in and around our winter wonderland are a cautionary tale of the need to take winter driving conditions seriously.
Speaking of feeling groovy … when is the last time you really checked the tread in your tires? I mean actually stuck a penny or measuring tool in the tread to measure the depth? Is the depth approaching 2/32 of an inch? If so, you need new tires. Having proper treads is essential to gaining and maintaining traction. Anyone who has watched a Canadian Tire or Goodyear advertisement knows this. Heck, anyone who has gone curling knows this!
Having driven behind many vehicles at icy intersections this winter, especially at intersections with an uphill slope, which are most prevalent in St. Albert, it sadly becomes more comedic than irksome to watch the vehicle slip and slide trying to move along. Worse yet is the dreaded drive of shame of having to back down a slope you cannot ascend due to crappy tires. Don’t you just love that banshee-like sound of spinning wheels wailing on icy roads? The remedy … winter tires.
As a regular commuter of the Henday, it never ceases to boggle my brain as to the number of accidents that transpire when we get a skiff of snow. Stopping by woods on a snowy evening should be by choice not caused by spinning out and hitting the ditch. Proper tires help prevent this but more than tires, it is good old-fashioned sense, in the form of driving at a safe speed, that helps you get where you are going.
Contrary to belief, 4x4 vehicles are not immune to ice and snow. Black ice, which sometimes the best tires cannot overcome, wreaks havoc when speed is excessive. Yet, how often do we see trucks whiz past because the driver feels impervious to the conditions?
Having a proper set of winter tires should be deemed an essential safety precaution. In Quebec it is a legal requirement to have them. Dans la belle province vehicles must have winter tires between Dec. 15 and March 15. It is high time for Alberta to consider doing the same. This would go a long way to preventing unnecessary accidents, injury or worse.
So, slow down, get a good set of winter tires and feel groovy as you explore the countryside or make your daily commute. With the drop in gas prices you may be driving more or at the very least, the savings you derive at the pump go a long way towards paying for those winter tires!
Good winter drivers will get a grip! Poor winter drivers … alas … retreads.
Tim Cusack is an educator, writer and member of the naval reserve.
