Please stay in your car after an icy accident folks!

[Cactusflower]

^^Never mind. I don't intend to debate B.C.'s highways with you all night. I think what Lori Ackerman said was right on the money. There's just too much traffic on these highways, especially in winter, and I'd just like to add that the drivers of the big rigs have become some of the worst drivers on the highways today.

(Cue the irate truckers.)

[Dizzy1]

^^Never mind. I don't intend to debate B.C.'s highways with you all night. I think what Lori Ackerman said was right on the money. There's just too much traffic on these highways, especially in winter, and I'd just like to add that the drivers of the big rigs have become some of the worst drivers on the highways today.

(Cue the irate truckers.)

And “closing The Coq for the winter” would put all that traffic on the other two highways - accidents and closures would sky rocket. Hmmm - must be that darned NDP logic again

[Dizzy1]

There's nothing wrong with the T.C. between Salmon arm and Revelstoke that couldn't be fixed with a re-routing. That's an old part of the T.C. that's been neglected for years. The Connector, on the other hand was Bennett's dream of having a quick route from Kelowna to the Coq. He wasn't satisfied with the original route from Kamloops to Merritt. He didn't care that his 'connector' traversed some of the most hostile terrain in the province.

Ummm - number one is Revelstoke/Golden. My bad, I should have made that more clear. I assumed you would have read the article to clarify that. Obviously not.

Again, it’s nice that you’re amplifying your political blinders instead of remotely trying to use the slightest amount of logic on the topic.

[Smurf]

The logic is the same as the oil pipelines with no thought that the relevant traffic, petroleum products or vehicles are still going to move. No thought whatsoever for a solution, or best method, just say "NO". It's an absolute joke to think that this "NO" attitude will solve any problem especially when in both cases it will cut into the economy making it much more difficult to correct any problems.


EDIT TO ADD:

For the time being at least, the best thing is to stay off these roads if possible which will increase your safety and drop the traffic for those that absolutely have to travel. If you are on the road make sure you are part of the solution and not the problem. Do not do anything stupid and stay in your vehicle unless it is safe to get out. Be smart!!!!!!

[Jhunter199]

Oh man, close down the coq through the winter, then divert all that traffic on 2 lesser maintained highways that were not designed to handle the volume of traffic the coq was. Then to really ice the cake, shut down the pipelines and add the increased volume of tanker trucks on the roads... then we could really see how many accidents we were really avoiding.

[alanjh595]

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/northcascades
Must I do all the research on this forum?

Where is the photos of the barricades that you claim?

[Dizzy1]

Oh man, close down the coq through the winter, then divert all that traffic on 2 lesser maintained highways that were not designed to handle the volume of traffic the coq was.

NDP Logic - darn that Bennett and his highway

[dirtybiker]

There's just too much traffic on these highways, especially in winter, and I'd just like to add that the drivers of the big rigs have become some of the worst drivers on the highways today.

I agree, way too much traffic, and them thar trukers r nutz.
Best everyone stay off all roads everywhere and just wait for the
Autonomous Trucks to take over.
Then it'll be as safe as curling up under the feather tick on the spare bed
at Grannies house..

[Cactusflower]

*removed*

[daveandanne]

Sad to hear about the young man losing his life on the icy Coq. Hwy. the other day. As for the advice to stay in the car that depends on your location in or near an accident or fatal incident. Even our first responders now go out with the utility vehicle to post crews ahead of the scene to slow, or alert the oncoming traffic to the danger ahead. I myself flash my lights if I am going the other way, and the other traffic can see me on the divided highway. One must also think of the danger of sitting on the icy highway with loved ones in the vehicle of the oncoming speeding vehicles coming at you and then they lose control when applying the brakes and you end up being the incident yourself. If it is possible what I do I watch well ahead and will stop well back, if possible and can get off the travelled portion and go back on foot the other way and try to warn the oncoming of the danger ahead. I do not wish to advise anyone to do this as it is very dangerous when the highway is slippery and icy. Ones first instinct is to help at the scene but most times it is important to lessen the outcome of more coming towards it at high speed. Each incident is a dangerous scene and one must move with caution and be aware of the other dangers that will occur. This is another reason I drive in the right lane so I can clear off the road to the shoulder, if possible and not be in the trapped left lane and being hit. If one drives to conditions then you will mostly be behind the carnage and will see what I mean as the crashes will happen in your line of sight.

[daveandanne]

The highway north of Prince George B.C. has gates at The Pine Pass [both ends ] that are closed in bad highway conditions and are open when the highway is safe to travel on and no they do not close it for the entire winter either. They close it if snowdrifts are across the road and again open it when cleared. I went from Chetwynd to Prince George one winter in a blizzard and they were not closed but a drift was just beyond them and I wondered why all the vehicles were parked at the café at the side of the highway and I found out why when I blew through them at the low spot in the middle. I had the highway to myself until I came to Prince George and had to follow the grader to the Hospital in 3 feet of snow. You might assume that I was stupid to drive in that but I had a young boy along with his parents in my van and since he had to go to emergency and the Heli. and Ambulance would not go because of the blizzard I went and if the gates were closed it would have stopped me. I have stated before that they should close the Coq. and the connector in serious situations and send out the army, or the USA marines if the crews cannot handle the weather in B.C. Just get more plows and more manpower and close sections of it until it is safe to travel on and then for the ones that want to drive to conditions can do just that. If one reads the comments about the young man killed the other day on the Coq. it was bare and dry everywhere else except for that one area in the shade so how does one drive to conditions do that when the conditions are alternating in one spot? Do they drive at 50 K all the way, or just when they hit the ice and skid and roll over?. These conditions move and change all of the time and sometimes the result is not good for a lot of drivers.

[Snman]

It is not feasible to close that highway for the winter, imho. Considering the amount of traffic on it, the number of accidents are acceptable I think. As for drivers, I think it's safe to say that there are less than experienced drivers on that highway, professional or otherwise. I recall an episode of that tow truck show about the coquihalla where one semi driver who had recently arrived from Lebanon admitted to the RCMP that he had never driven in snow and did not know how to install his chains. Perhaps this scenario could, or should, be avoided.

[daveandanne]

Glad to hear that this driver today on the Connector did it the right and only way in the multiple pileup at Pennask. I wish there were more like him as he seen the danger in front and went off road right and came out of this with no damage or injuries. He knows he is lucky but he is also very smart and alive to tell about it. Guess which lane he will drive in for the rest of his long life. As you all see and get involved in that left suicide lane traps you into the median and most times it is goodbye to one and all there, or long recovery like lifelong pain to endure. Good move driver and you witnessed this first hand. You do not need anymore advice from anyone on how to drive to conditions or what to be prepared for things that come your way and in my opinion you deserve a medal but just surviving is the best reward. Again good man.

[daveandanne]

For those talking about the highway closing for the winter this is not what happens. In severe weather you close it and put all of your efforts like manpower and plows into play and work on each section and then go to the next section. Like Hwy. 97 from Hope to Merritt put 10 plows on it then turn them back to Hope and clear that. Then get 10 more plows from Merritt to Peachland and clear that and go back to Merritt and clear that. They do not have the plows then go get them. Now put up a cell tower on both summits for emergency crews, or a World phone if cheaper and the communication problem is solved. Boy this is easy to resolve, or is it?.