As road conditions worsen, Merritt RCMP members are reminding Merrittonians to be careful when they’re travelling on highways.
Now that winter driv ing conditions have arrived in the Nicola Valley, drivers need to slow down and drive at a speed appropriate to road conditions, Merritt RCMP Cpl. Doug Hardy said.
“This time of year [in the] early morning [and] later part of the afternoon, be careful in shaded areas because that can frost up pretty fast,” Hardy said.
He said in those areas it’s easy not to notice ice and frost developing on the road.
Roadway conditions can change quite rapidly, Hardy said.
A Merritt police cruiser was struck by a vehicle on the night of Nov. 3 on the Coquihalla Highway near Surrey Lake Summit.
Hardy said the police car was attending the scene of an accident when a Pontiac Grand Am rear-ended it.
A female officer was inside the police car at the time but wasn’t hurt in the incident, Hardy said.
He said none of the four occupants of the Grand Am were injured.
There was, however, about $4,000 worth of damage to the Pontiac, and about $6,500 in damage to the police cruiser.
That day, there were slushy and slippery sections on the Coquihalla Highway and multiple reported vehicle incidents north of Merritt, according to Drive BC.
Hardy said Merritt police responded to about eight accidents that weekend.
Hardy also said he thinks the conditions on the Coquihalla were not good, and doesn’t believe people slowed down for the conditions as many calls were of cars that had gone off the road and into ditches.
“A lot of them just went into the ditch,” Hardy said. “There wasn’t any damage. The ones we responded to obviously had damage, maybe even minor injuries,” Hardy said, noting there were no incidents involving serious injuries or fatalities in the Merritt area that weekend.
BCAS offers safety tips
The BC Ambulance Service is warning pedestrians and drivers to be careful on the road, especially in the weeks following the time change.
The provincial emergency service reports it responded to 19 per cent more calls for pedestrians being hit by cars in the four weeks following the change from daylight savings time to standard time compared to the previous four weeks.
The service recommends pedestrians wear reflective clothing and carry a flashlight; use sidewalks where available or walk facing traffic; use crosswalks; stay off highways; be careful walking around hedges, parked cars and buses; make eye contact with drivers; and avoid headphones or talking on cellphones.
BC Ambulance Service recommends drivers slow down in the wet, dark winter months, especially around crosswalks; shoulder check when turning right to make sure no pedestrians are walking; be attentive, particularly around schools and residential neighbourhoods; and never pass a vehicle that is stopped for pedestrians.
