On Friday and Saturday, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) received a record number of calls as drivers had to contend with heavy snowfall and its effects on the Lower Mainland and portions of Vancouver Island.
Vancouver Sun reported that winter road conditions were so severe that despite attempts by city workers to salt and brine major thoroughfares in expectation of Friday’s snowfall, numerous drivers still ended up slipping on Saturday, the next day.
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ICBC spokesman Sam Corea said that the insurer received 5,074 calls on Friday; the number was nearly double its annual average of 2,800. The figure was on par, however, with the calls received during last month’s snowy Mondays.
Corea also confirmed that not all the calls were related to collisions, but the surge was indicative of the difficulties drivers were experiencing. Approximately 75% of all the calls received in the period were from drivers in the Lower Mainland.
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“The key message is: it’s still winter and — we say it over and over again — drive for the conditions,” Corea said. “Just because there’s a posted speed limit, that doesn’t mean you can drive the same way you do on a snowy February day as you do on a sunny day in August.”
“A lot of people just don’t think (winter tires) are necessary for some reason,” OK Tire Vancouver owner Sterling Arndt told
Vancouver Sun. According to Arndt, motorists are typically put off by the price of the tires, with full sets usually starting at around $400. Winter tire sets for luxury vehicles can reach up to $2,000.
Arndt also suggested that perhaps because the Lower Mainland has not been hit by heavy snowfall in recent years that some drivers cannot appreciate the added traction winter tires give.
Although winter tires are not mandatory in BC, they are required on designated winter tire and chain-up routes identified by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Motorists who fail to comply can be turned away from entering these routes or even fined.
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