Winter giving drivers the slip around

As the temperature dips and snow sticks, drivers begin to prepare for the winter.

RCMP Manitoba says right now is the perfect time to talk about winter driving.

"This pretty much the first week of winter driving conditions where we have had wet, fluffy snowfall," Seargent Paul Manaigre says.

MPI's media representative Brian Smiley says that the number of winter crashes has slightly dipped by two per cent in the past year, but drivers need to continue to travel carefully.

"The number one rule of thumb is to drive to road conditions. If that is a blizzard or black ice or perhaps white-outs, you need to drive to the conditions," Smiley says.

Almost half of all crashes reported to MPI each year occur from November to March.

Manaigre says that Manitobans need to watch the weather.

"The way you drive needs to change at this time of year. You have to give yourself more time."

This includes giving themselves extra travel time as well as extra stopping time. Manaigre says a driver may know the route after driving for decades, but the conditions change every day. He recommends checking road conditions before heading out.

"If it is slippery, your car is not going to stop quickly. People need to give themselves extra time and space."

The sergeant recommends drivers use winter tires.

Smiley says that MPI commissioned a study over seven years and found that drivers who used winter tires got into fewer crashes.

"We saw a reduction of roughly six per cent for those vehicles that were equipped with winter tires.," Smiley says. He adds that winter tires work if a driver is driving to the conditions. 

Manaigre says that accidents and breakdowns do happen, and it is important to have a kit in vehicles, especially those driving on highways, in the winter. He recommends keeping a little bit of food and water, extra clothing and blankets, and a candle and matches in the trunk.

He says if a driver is in trouble, to stay inside the vehicle.

"We always encourage people to stay in your vehicle because that is what we are going to be looking for," Manaigre says. "We can usually find the car quicker than we can find the people."

Manaigre says to make sure the vehicle's tailpipe is cleared of any snow before starting and running the vehicle.