HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-01-12, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12,1994.
Safety, top priority of winter road maintenance
By Larry Till
Ontario's winter road mainte
nance program is like a finely-
tuned car. There are literally
hundreds of different componenets,
each one operating independently
but committed to making the whole
thing work.
Some factors can be more or less
anticipated, such as traffic volume
and seasonal snow fall. And some
can't including the biggest variable
of all - the weather.
And then there's the great
imponderable - the human factor.
Winter driving
Where caution meets sense
Here are some tips for safe
winter driving from the Ontario
Ministry of Transportation. The
ministry operates local road
information services throughout the
province. Call your local office for
details or the MTO INFO line in
Toronto at (416) 235-4686. Out of
town residents can call toll-free 1-
800-268-2376.
DRIVER’S CHECKLIST
DO have enough warm clothing -
- including coat, gloves, boots and
hat. You never know then you'll
need them.
DO make sure your car is in
good working order before winter
hits — and especially before setting
out on a long winter drive. Get a
thorough tune-up and check your
car's anti-freeze, battery, brakes,
tires, windshield and muffler.
DO keep enough windshield
washer anti-freeze on hand.
DO watch for slippery sections
that often form with drifting snow
and create dangerous winter
driving conditions. Also pay
special attention to bridges and
overpasses — which tend to freeze
up earlier than other surfaces - and
for ramps that might be icy or
snow-covered.
DO carry a winter survival kit.
The kit--which can be stowed
under the driver's seat for easy
access—should contain:
• a small, lightweight shovel (it
might be just the thing to get you
on your way when stuck in the
snow);
• matches or a lighter and candles
for warmth ( a single candle can
add 4.5 C, or 10 F, of warmth to
the inside of your car);
Return
change notice
by May 1
Continued from page 11
indicate their choice on the Change
Notice and return it to the
Commission by May 1.
Each farmer who was insured in
1993 will receive 1994 enrolment
information with detailed
instructions in the mail in early
March. Producers may contact the
Crop Insurance Commission at
(416) 326-3276 for more informa
tion.
McKillop
passes
bylaw
Continued from page 12
may be permitted on a more fre
quent and extensive basis.
A voucher in the amount of
$23,132.07 was approved for pay
ment.
A bylaw passed authorizing the
borrowing of $600,000.
Every year, the Ontario Ministry
of Transportation has to make
decisions about winter main
tenance. Everything, from how
much salt co use to how many
seasonal workers to hire, is based
on an ever-changing mix of
experience, knowledge, and good
old-fashioned gut instinct.
How and when a road is plowed,
salted and sanded is determined for
the most part by its location and the
number of vehicles using it.
The guidelines for provincial
highways call for snow removal "as
soon as reasonably possible."
• a tin cup or can to melt snow
for drinking water;
• non-perishable, high-energy
food such as chocolate or peanuts;
• plastic garbage bags to be used
as insulation against the wind in
case you have to get out of the car;
• blanket or sleeping bag;
• smaller items, including an ice
scraper, snow brush, flashlight,
flares, tow chain, jumper cables,
and a container of sand, salt or kitty
litter for traction;
• an emergency supply of
prescription drugs, if necessary.
Also useful are basic tools such
as screwdrivers and pliers, a tire
gauge, car jack, tire wrench and
spare tires and fuses.
• DO remember to buy — and use
— anti-freeze for your car locks and
gas tank.
• DO keep your gas tank more
than half full. It will prevent
moisture from freezing in the gas
lines and give your rear-wheel car a
little more traction when stuck.
• DO leave one window open just
a crack when driving. This will
improve circulation, reduce
condensation and fogging inside
windows, and prevent carbon
monoxide poisoning. But don't
open the rear window on a station
wagon or mini-van. It allows
exhaust fumes inside.
• DO take some time to learn
proper winter driving skills. Some
private courses are available; local
MTO offices, public libraries and
police detachments are also good
sources of information.
• DO remember to buckle up, see
that young children are in an
appropriate car seat, and that older
ones and all adult passengers use
seat belts. It's the law — and, as of
Jan. 1, the penalty for drivers not
using a seat belt or ensuring
passengers under 16 are properly
buckled is not only a fine, but also
two demerit points.
• DON'T drink and drive --
whether the car is in motion or not.
Alcohol makes a lousy addition to
your winter survival kit: it causes
the blood vessels close to the skin
to expand and speeds up the loss of
body heat. It also makes you
drowsy and you could freeze to
death while sleeping.
• DON'T brake, steer, change
lanes or take other driving actions
too quickly. Driver error is still the
number one cause of collisions, and
that is never more true than in the
winter.
• DON'T follow too closely. The
most common winter mishap is
sliding into another vehicle when
there isn't enough room to stop
safely. Winter conditions often
make objects and other hazards
much harder to spot. It's a good
idea to allow four seconds between
your vehicle and the one in front.
To check whether you're doing
that, select an object at the side of
the road and, when the vehicle in
In most cases, the road is to be
cleared within 24 hours after a
snow fall. Sometimes this proves
tricky, especially when a prolonged
storm drops a lot of snow or
extreme cold prevents salt from
working effectively.
Salt is also used prudently. For
the past couple of winters the
ministry has concentrated its efforts
on protecting the environment by
finding ways to use less salt while
ensuring safe winter driving for
motorists.
Last winter alone, salt use was
cut by 150,000 tonnes across the
front passes it, start counting,
"One-thousand-one, one-thousand
two..." If you reach the object
before getting to one-thousand-
four, you're too close.
• DON'T get too close to snow
plows. They're out there making
the roads safer for everyone. Let
them do their job.
• DON'T panic if you have an
emergency on the road. If you
don't have a cellular phone to call
for help, use emergency flashers,
place a warning light on top of your
car, or tie a brightly coloured scarf
or piece of cloth to the aerial or
door handle - anything to make
you more visible and attract help.
• DON'T over-exert yourself
trying to get your car back on the
road. A little energy conservation
goes a long way to maintaining
alertness.
• DON'T let all the occupants in
your car sleep at the same time if
you're stopped. At least one person
should remain awake at all times,
to check for frostbite on the others
and watch for help.
• DON'T take unnecessary
chances with winter driving. If
conditions are poor, or roads,
schools and offices are being
closed, and if you don't absolutely
have to go out, stay home.
Business
Centre
opens
The Huron Community Futures
Corporation, the Huron Business
Development Corporation and the
County of Huron has announced
the Official Grand Opening of the
Huron Business Centre, 138 Main
St. S. in Seaforth. In celebration,
the public is invited to attend the
opening ceremonies, Thursday, Jan.
20.
An open house is scheduled from
3 p.m. - 9 p.m. to encourage
members of the public to visit the
Centre and leant more about the
programs and services offered. At
4 p.m., a ribbon-cutting ceremony
will take place, presided over by
local dignitaries and elected
officials.
All interested individuals are
invited to attend. In the event of
bad weather, the alternate date for
the Official Grand Opening is
Friday, Jan. 21.
The Huron Business Centre is a
co-operative undertaking jointly
operated by federal, provincial and
county affiliated agencies. The
Centre aims to stimulate local job
creation and economic
revitalization by offering a one-stop
access point for community and
business development efforts
throughout Huron County.
province - savings both the
environment and approximately
$6.5 million in salt costs.
Recent budget pressures have
added yet another dimension -
trying to maintain high-quality road
maintenance service without
pinching the taxpayer too hard. It
isn't easy.
"It becomes a judgement call,"
says Ken Kirchner, manager of the
ministry's maintenance office. "A
supervisor has to decide at the local
level when to send the crews out
and when it might be smarter to
wait a while.
"The only time we don't send our
plows out is when there's zero visi
bility. Other than that, they're out
there clearing the roads in almost
every kind of winter weather imag
inable."
Kirchner and other winter driving
experts recommend that sometimes
the safest thing a driver can do is to
stay home.
The ministry is responsible for
reporting winter driving conditions
both to local media and to drivers
thinking about venturing out on the
Plow drivers boldly go
Ever wonder how snowplow drivers get to work in a storm?
The short answer is they don't. That is, they don't wait until the storm is
raging with gale force before heading into work.
"We have a weather-tracking system that we watch carefully," says Ken
Kirchner, manager of the Ministry of Transportation's maintenance office.
"We generally call in the drivers before the conditions begin to
deteriorate."
Most plow drivers work an eight-hour shift, bur in an emergency they
can work up to 16 hours.
The ministry supplements its winter maintenance staff and fleet by
contracting out to the private sector.
"Our maintenance supervisors make all the decisions," Kirchner says.
"Ultimately, we are responsible to make sure the job gets done."
HEALTH ON THE HILL
A review of activities at
SEAFORTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Happy New Year
Please help us celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Seaforth Community
Hospital. A fundraiser dinner and dance is being held Saturday,
February 5, 1994 at the Seaforth and District Community Centres.
Tickets at a cost of $50.00 each will give someone a chance to win the
grand prize of a $1,500 vacation voucher and many other door prizes.
For tickets or information call 527-1650.
At the Nov. 18th, 1993 East Huron Long Term Care Reform Meeting,
the Central Long Term Care Committee Terms of Reference were
reviewed and areas of concern identified. Terms of Reference for East
Huron were drafted.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SAID:
I always wanted to...
I've been putting this off...
The time is right...
Maybe I should...
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RETURN TO SCHOOL
Make your 1994 New Year's Resolution now and
phone the CHSS Adult Education at 482-5922 for
an appointment. Find out more about our:
computer courses
assertiveness training course
over 30 high school credit courses
flexible time-tables
supportive adult environment located
in Vanastra Public School
1994....take a step in a new direction
road.
The ceniral road information
switchboard in Toronto can handle
many kinds of inquiries. Lccal
MTO offices have more detailed
information.
Ontario Transportation Minister
Gilles Pouliot says ministry staff
work hard to maintain the quality
of Ontario's roads in the winter.
"We are very proud of Ontario's
high quality of snow removal and
winter road maintenance. We have
some of the best people available
working in every part of the
province, both in our offices and
out on the roads.
"They are an important part of
our goal of making Ontario's roads
the safest in North America."
For road information in both
English and French, motorists can
call: 416-235-1110. Callers from
outside of Toronto dial toll-free 1-
800-268-2376. Cellular phone
callers dial toll-free ROAD (7623).
Larry Till works in the
Communications Branch of the
Ontario Ministry of Transporta
tion.