Winter driving requires patience and Caution

 

 

By Erika Caines

The Packet (Saturday, February 3, 2001)

 

With the recent cold snap and icy road conditions that have hit the Ottawa area, it’s time to start thinking about winter driving.

 

While being cautious on the roads is a good starting point, there are a number of things people can do during the winter to help become a winter-savvy driver.

 

“There’s no one thing you can do to be safe,” said 30 year driving education instructor veteran Brian Donleavy.

 

Mr. Donleavy, also a senior partner at Larry’s Defensive Driving School in Manotick, took some time to speak to the Packet about driving safely during the winter months. He said that taking a course to learn how to drive in the winter is a smart idea.

 

“If you learn to drive in the winter time, then the summer will be a breeze for you,” he said. “And if you don’t learn how to drive in the winter, you should get extra winter lessons.”

 

Mr. Donleavy said that more women than men take courses in the winter to help improve their skills.

 

“More women come for the winter courses,” he said. “And women tend to be easier to teach.”

 

Mr. Donleavy said there are a number of tips to follow to bump up your safety on the roads this season:

 

·                    Compensate for the weather

 

 

·                    All season tires are okay, but snow tires on the two front wheels can make

a difference.

 

·                    Give yourself a greater braking distance don’t tailgate.

 

·                    Reduce your speed and tap your brakes when approaching an amber light.

 

·                    Use the two-second rule. Make sure you count two seconds between the time the car in front of you passes an object and the time you pass the same object

 

·                    If you’re going to slide through an icy intersection, flick the car into neutral—this will give you a greater chance of stopping.

 

·                    If you have Anti-lock brakes, know how to use them. Do not take your foot off the brakes when attempting to stop if they are ABS

 

 

Driving in the winter can be challenging, but with the right training and instruction, it can be safer for everyone involved.

 

Having an emergency kit in the trunk of the car is an assurance, but Mr. Donleavy said that a cellular phone is a better one.

 

“As a parent, a father of six girls, I think a cell phone is a top priority,” he said. “You never know what kind of weirdos are on the road.”

 

He also said that a candle and spare blanket can help to save your life in an emergency situation.

 

“If you light a candle and leave the window open a crack—like an eighth of an inch – and cover yourself with the blanket, it will produce enough heat that it can be the difference between life and death,” he said. Emergency kits should also include jumper cables and drivers should have a membership with the CAA.

 

By learning to drive during the winter months, it is also easier to learn how to avoid dangerous situations.

 

“ The number one thing to do to protect yourself in the winter is you’ve got to learn to reduce your speed.” Said Mr. Donleavy. “Time is the essence.”

 

Other area driving schools also feel that students need to take some extra time in the winter to get from point ‘a’ to point ‘b.’

 

“You have to be able to adapt more quickly to more adverse conditions,” said Tom Wainwright, the general manager of the Young Drivers of Canada in Ottawa, which also has an office in the Manotick. “Students are scared – they have a fear (of winter driving).”

 

Mr. Wainwright said that driving in the winter is all about leaving more distance between other vehicles and keeping the speed of the vehicle down.