Education and common sense will be the keys to limiting accidents on South Cariboo roads this winter.

During the round table portion of the Nov. 18 meeting of the 100 Mile

& District Safety Committee, Michelle Schilling said she would like to get some safety messages out to drivers about not using cruise control and not passing snowplows during the winter.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) area manager said she is looking at installing traffic signs that would warn drivers not to use cruise control when there’s snow and ice on the roads.

“It’s starting to be more of an issue… with more people driving automatic [transmission vehicles].”

Coun. Dave Mingo, representing the District of 100 Mile House, wondered aloud if there was some way to pressure the federal government to pass legislation that would specify all new vehicles must have outside thermometers, so when the temperature dropped two or three degrees or colder, the cruise control mechanism wouldn’t work.

However, Ed Marshall, Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement representative, said that wouldn’t be practical, especially if the road conditions were good.

He added it’s unfortunate manufacturers have stopped making vehicles with automatic traction sensors, so if one wheel was interacting with the road at a different speed, it would disengage the cruise control.

“We had two serious crashes recently. Both involved drivers

who were using cruise control going uphill and hitting black ice. As soon as their transmissions shifted down, they were gone ­­— swoosh.”

Schilling said MOTI is also looking at installing signage, asking driver to not pass snowplows on the right-hand side because there’s a greater chance of accidents.

“There seems to be more incidents of drivers impacting with snow plows.”

As far as a policy stating when drivers should pass snowplows or how far they should follow behind them, Phil Doddridge said there isn’t any such policy.

The Interior Roads quality manager added snowplow drivers know they can pull over if it’s safe to do, when they get a long lineup behind them.

“But in doing so, that means there is a stretch of road that doesn’t get addressed. I encourage them to pull over, but they’ve got a job to do.”

Doddridge said drivers are taught to turn their sand spinners off when traffic is approaching, but the chains that link to the spinners have to keep moving or that section of road isn’t getting sanded.

“So, it’s a difficult thing and it’s up to the operator’s discretion.”

Signs are going to help, he said, adding snowplow’s wings, which extends out on the right-hand side of the truck, get hit three or four times every winter.

“It’s a big concern for us because the truck gets damaged and then it’s off the road.”

Marshall added those types of collisions can spin the truck out of control.

Noting the wings have a substantial light on their tips, Doddridge said they had considered going to LED lights for more brightness, but the LEDs don’t create any heat, which is needed to clear the snow and ice off the lamps.

“We’re all staffed up and ready to go for winter; we’ve had some issues already. We’ve had two big snow storms this winter; people always seem to slow down on the second one.”