Released on December 20, 2012
Christmas travellers heading home for the holidays can have a safer journey by being aware of the potential highway hazards they may encounter during their trip.
"The best way to be prepared for winter travel is to know before you go by checking the latest road conditions on the Highway Hotline," Highways and Infrastructure Minister Don McMorris said. "We also want drivers to remember that if there is snow and ice on the road, there is a good chance you will cross the path of a snowplow. Remember to stay back, stay safe and give the plow room to work."
On December 5, two separate collisions with snowplows occurred on provincial highways.
The first collision occurred on Highway 11 when a semi hit a northbound snow plow, clearing snow in the passing lane north of Duck Lake. The semi clipped the back corner of the plow truck which was obscured in a whiteout condition. The same day another snow plow was hit on Highway 46 while travelling westbound between Regina and Pilot Butte. A car crossed the centre-line of the highway forcing the snow plow operator to take evasive action and hit the ditch. The oncoming car hit the rear portion of the snow plow as it headed into the ditch as well. Fortunately there were no injuries to any of the drivers involved.
"This brings our total to 60 such collisions between motorists and snow plows since the ministry began collecting the data in 1998," McMorris said. "We are equally concerned with the safety of our operators as we are with the safety of all drivers on our highway network. We want everyone to get home safely, and that requires extra care and caution while driving in winter."
Snow plows can create a whiteout condition in their wake, obscuring the plow from sight despite the checkerboard truck boxes and flashing lights meant to keep them visible. Motorists who approach a sudden whiteout should be aware it is likely a snow plow up ahead, and to slow down and stay back. The plows pull over every 10 kilometres or so to allow vehicles to pass.
Legislation passed in the spring of 2009 states that drivers must not exceed 60 km/hr when passing a snow plow, with warning lights flashing, whether in operation or stopped on the side of the road.
Motorists are always urged to ‘know before you go' by checking the Highway Hotline for road conditions. Go to www.highways.gov.sk.ca and click on the Highway Hotline button to check map and text reports, access a mobile website, sign up for Twitter notices or check out the Facebook page. Callers can also dial 1-888-335-7623 toll-free across Canada.
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For more information, contact:
Kirsten Leatherdale
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-8484
Email: kirsten.leatherdale@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-536-9692