It's great to be busy, unless it can be avoided.
Police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians were kept on their toes last week as weather made Yorkton roads hazardous. Alternating cool then warm then cool temperatures coupled with snow and freezing rain created icy conditions that resulted in nine motor vehicle accidents in the first week of December.
By comparison, there were only 13 in all of November.
Deputy Fire Chief Greg Litvanyi was not impressed.
"People need to slow down given the conditions," he said.
SGI recommends not only slowing down, but also leaving at least three times the usual amount of space between you and other motorists.
The provincial insurer also warns that winter tires and four-wheel drive sometimes give drivers a false sense of security. When conditions are as bad as they are right now, even these safety features may not stop your vehicle in time to avoid a collision.
Litvanyi said all the activity last week also highlighted another safety issue. Many people, he said, seem to have forgotten what the proper procedure is when an emergency vehicle is approaching.
"I followed a guy for eight blocks on Broadway the other day," he said.
When you see an emergency vehicle behind you, you are supposed to slow down and pull over to the right. It is not just for the sake of safety, it is the law.
Accidents do happen, but experts know most can be avoided if people simply exercise appropriate caution with respect to conditions.
