VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Perhaps you saw a car go off the road on your way to work today. We’ve heard reports of a number of cars sliding into ditches due to these frozen conditions.
On a day like this, Dave Weloy with BCAA says calls are generally up by about 50 per cent around the province.
He expects there could be as many as 3,000 calls by the end of today.
“A lot of our guys are seeing a lot of cars that are sliding off the roads, sliding into ditches. We’re doing a lot of recoveries, even out of people’s driveways or their back lanes that are not shovelled or plowed,” he said.
“Guys having trouble going up hills and sliding back into cars and stuff like that. It tends to be a lot more fender-benders we’re seeing out there, for sure,” he added.
RELATED: How much more snow can we expect in the Lower Mainland this week?
Weloy says a lot of challenges come down to the equipment on the vehicles.
“A lot of people do not have four winter tires on. They’re heading out in their all-season tires. The tires are just too hard. They’re just not a soft enough tread to get that traction that you need,” he explained.
(Kurtis Doering, NEWS 1130 Photo)
Roadside assistance crews are also helping people with their car batteries.
“Batteries would be, besides the recoveries, our next-highest call volume,” Weloy said. “We’re doing a lot of battery boosts — typically batteries that are three to five years old. In this colder temperature, that’s when they’re acting up and they’re just not starting.”
RELATED: A slushy, dirty, slippery mess on Metro Vancouver roads
He has a few tips for drivers in this winter weather:
“Adjusting their driving to match the condition and slow down. Avoid problems such as any snowy or icy hills and unplowed streets. And knowing when not to drive. That’s probably the biggest thing today. Stay home and be safe.”
Click here for more tips from BCAA
Listen live for traffic updates every 10 minutes on the ones. You can also follow us on Twitter @NEWS1130Traffic or subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
The post Cars in ditches, struggles with batteries: challenges for drivers in these frigid conditions appeared first on City NEWS 1130.