Winter Driving
 

Hi All

Happy New Year to you all!!

Just curious as to how bad the winter driving conditions are over there in Calgary especially. Would imagine I would stay within city limits during winter as I am not experienced in icy conditions

Cheers

Wayne

Re: Winter Driving
 

There are tons on tips in the winter driving wiki, and at the canadian driving website.

Mostly it boils down to common sense, be prepared, get winter rubber, slow down.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Winter_Driving
http://www.canadiandriver.com/winterdriving

Couldnt imagine living in Calgary and not going skiing in the mountains in the winter:)

Re: Winter Driving
 

You should have a look at today's Calgary Herald.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/We...531/story.html

Re: Winter Driving
 

Sadly you're still largely at the mercy of the idiots who think they can stop when they're driving six feet behind you on fresh snow. There's a traffic jam around here at the moment because someone smashed into the back of another car on the approach to a stop light... if I remember correctly there were more than twenty crashes before 9am the first day we had significant snow this winter.

Re: Winter Driving
 

If it's anything like Red Deer, it takes time for the roads to be cleared, with main roads being a priority and then residential streets maybe once during the winter and then once at the end.

The storm that hit this weekend has mad the roads horrible, but the idiots in their lifted pieces of crap are still driving like it's summer, fishtailing on the ice on the roads, wearing their white framed sunglasses:thumbdown:

I was supposed to be going to a tupperware wedding shower in Blackfalds (20 mins out of Red Deer) I was amazed it hadn't been postponed, I stayed home and safe.

Re: Winter Driving
 

On saturday night/sunday morning Ben and I witnessed someone reversing back along the Gardner to the off ramp because there had been an accident up ahead.

He nearly backed ( at speed) into a large truck.

This was then repeated by at least three other cars :eek:

Re: Winter Driving
 

I would say the road clearance around Cochrane is waaayy better than within Calgary city limits :p

As I drive down towards Calgary each morning, I go over the brow of a hill down to a set of traffic lights at the city limits, and bang, and this is where the the snow, ice and skidding begin. I have yet to see the large scale gritting or ploughing that was promised. Maybe all the priorities are sent to the Deerfoot which is notoriously a idiot-driving nightmare.

Apart from the fact that generally we have (I think) very little snow generally (compared to some other provinces), the school of thought seems to be to just wait for it all to melt anyway. So the main roads naturally clear and dry out quickly, and the side residential roads become a carved, rutted ice rink.

We had wind this weekend. Nothing to do with a curry. Lots of blowing snow, large drifts and the need for snow ploughs. Unusual, to be sure.

If you are a nervous driver, start playing in large empty car parks in the evening and buy winter tyres and you are all set! :)

Re: Winter Driving
 

It could be worse......we could be in then UK when they get and inch of slush.......:eek::eek:

Re: Winter Driving
 

Holy Crap

Thats it ... I'm moving to Jamaica!

Re: Winter Driving
 

Today I saw two accidents on my (usually) 15 min drive to work in Calgary. On my way home just now I saw two separate "near" accidents as cars lost their grip on apparently icy surfaces as they merged onto the highway, and fish-tailed wildy for some seconds, luckily managing not to side-swipe anyone while they fought to get control.

What amazed me was that having got control, each of them roared off down the road doing far in excess of the posted speed limit (which is presumably for dry conditions anyway). Twits! :blink:

Here's some excellent photos of current road conditions in Calgary! http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Ga...342/story.html

Re: Winter Driving
 

It never ceases to amaze me when you see some of these vehicles in the ditch.

Today i'm driving home at dusk / dark (took about an hour). Along a secondry highway which is unlit. still with snow on it so no white lines visible in places and under this is the black ice.

I have an old 2wd car which handles like a duck on an icepond at the best of times.

Add to this the added danger of a critter (deer / moose / elk) that could run out in front of you at any given time.

I finally get home (which you have to go down a gravel road to) to find the snowplough has taken a thin layer off the top of what fell over the weekend and there was a ridge a foot and a half high blocking my drive.

After 3 attempts, lots off spinning and swearing and backing up etc - FINALLY managed to get to the house.

If I can do it in the red rocket (1992 Pontiac Sunsomethingorother with nearly 300k on the clock), then Mr dumbass in his F350 dually has no frickin excuse for hitting the rhubard and ditching his truck.

Re: Winter Driving
 

This is why I left my small town in Ontario After 15 yrs there and worse for 20yrs earlier further north.

Re: Winter Driving
 

Winter driving is easy enough. It's sharing what's left of the road with people who think their vehicles are LOP-exempt that's the problem.
(LOP = Laws of Physics)

Re: Winter Driving
 

i drove from Edmonton to Jasper and back yesterday no problems at all even after all the snow we had at the weekend

Re: Winter Driving
 

Like anywhere really, it's just everyone else on the road you need to worry about. Armed with some common sense and some winter tires on your car and go easy on the brakes and the gas pedal and you'll be fine.