Spate of bad MVA's

[Jflem1983]

Recently drove a rental to sask and back. On bald tires. .

Sorry but that is just not too smart on your part. Either insist they put winter tires with at least 50% tread on it or refuse it!

You are endangering yourself and everyone else.

By law it was legal. Thats the scary part

[daveandanne]

Hwy. 33 crash and cars off the highway in West Kelowna. Why are they wasting taxpayers money on sanding the roads now after the crashes when we know it is all caused by the drivers ?. So please quit sanding the roads as they are not the cause. You will notice they sand after the crashes So if they do not know where the slippy parts are how do they expect the drivers to know before they crash?. Very interesting that if the roads are not dangerous why waste the sand?.

[spooker]

I expect MUCH better from ALL OF MY TAXES! We have that group on here that continuously cry "if you want this or you want that, expect your taxes to go up". To those, please inform us what we exactly get for our HIGH taxes, especially in this spoiled little city and to what "high caliber" are these services.

You think this is "high taxes"? I pay approximately $2400 in tax annually ... for the same assessed value I'd pay at least double in most places except Vancouver ... but to get the same assessment I'd have to accept 25% of the space as a condo with no yard ...

Again this morning more crashes on Hwy. 97 and it must not be a fault of the ice but of course it is the drivers so tell me this, are all of the drivers in these carnages being charged with dangerous driving ?. Must be a lot of them going to court and being convicted. So if the roads do not have to be plowed then let's get rid of the plows and drivers and just leave the roads for the professional drivers. Wait has anyone seen how many of them have been crashing and are they also being charged with dangerous driving?. It is long past the time to keep blaming the drivers and doing the proper thing of at least trying to make our highways safe for everyone. Salt and sand or shut these dangerous highways down until they can be travelled in a safe manner. If we use the excuse that it is solely the drivers then it must be getting safer as these dangerous drivers are being charged and being taken off the road. We know that this is not happening because it never stops. So since they will not maintain the roads, or get rid of the evil drivers then lower the speed limit or close the roads until they are safe. This Hwy. 97 is the most dangerous road around here to put the rubber to that I find it much safer to hit the side roads. And less traffic too. This is the Highway At Hell and not to Hell.

Haven't you heard that the "intent" of drivers is never to cause damage or injury? So they can't be charged with anything more than "carelessness" ... people are used to hearing about "accidents" not "collisions" ... and since accidents are just that it absolves the drivers of any responsibility ... need to kill someone? just hit them with a car ...

[mpom]

Maybe my post was a little harsh sounding(or not), with 'whiners' and all. Seriously though, one cannot depend on a contracted snowplow to take care of your exact route, whilst it is snowing. During a moderate snowfall, 15 minutes after the plow has gone by, voila, the road is covered by a fresh layer. It quickly is packed down to a nice smooth, slippery surface. The plow has to carry on, plowing what is in front of the truck. It cant wait for you. Ever wonder how emergency vehicles/people get to the accident scene safely? They know how to drive and have snowflake tires(I think?). They certainly dont have studded tires or chains, yet manage to get to your accident scene now dont they? To those that say 'my tax dollars' are not being used effectively, stay home during winter. Do you hear Northern folks whining? They know how to drive in winter conditions and react to instantaneous changing conditions. I will however, agree 100% that road maintenance in general, has declined compared to 30 years ago. when I say this, I mean all 12 months of the year, not just the winter months. The Okanagan has very poor driving habits, face it.

[lensbaby]

just saw a head on at Antlers Beach. Can't help wondering if the one that caused it wan't an ace driver driving a rental on bald tires, who doesn't let a bit of snow stop him.

[doucettegary]

I'm from New Brunswick and I can't figure out why BC does not sand or salt the roads here when they are slippery with ice.
Yesterday coming back from Penticton the roads were a glare of ice from Greata to West Kelowna, there was a major accident around 2pm, I went through there at 4:30 pm and the roads were still not sanded or salted and very slippery and traffic was crawling. What's the problem? No wonder ICBC is $1.3 Billion in the red. Wake up Department of Transportation!!!!!!

[lensbaby]

I'm from New Brunswick and I can't figure out why BC does not sand or salt the roads here when they are slippery with ice.
Yesterday coming back from Penticton the roads were a glare of ice from Greata to West Kelowna, there was a major accident around 2pm, I went through there at 4:30 pm and the roads were still not sanded or salted and very slippery and traffic was crawling. What's the problem? No wonder ICBC is $1.3 Billion in the red. Wake up Department of Transportation!!!!!!

You have to realize that many of our drivers are so awesome and so highly skilled that they laugh at road maintenance. Unfortunately they are all on the Castanet forums telling us how wonderful they are, rather than being out on the ice demonstrating how it should be done to the rest of us.

[Smurf]

Jflem1983 wrote:

By law it was legal. Thats the scary part

By what law. As far as I understand depending on what type of vehicle you are driving you have to have either winter tires with proper tread or chains (which you could have had). I don't believe there is a highway you can get out of the province on that is not a designated road. Did they supply proper chains?

Why wouldn't you report the rental company for renting an unsafe vehicle?

EDIT TO ADD: What would you have done in a serious emergency when you even state the tires were useless? How would you have stopped or controlled the vehicle?

[Jflem1983]

Jflem1983 wrote:

By law it was legal. Thats the scary part

By what law. As far as I understand depending on what type of vehicle you are driving you have to have either winter tires with proper tread or chains (which you could have had). I don't believe there is a highway you can get out of the province on that is not a designated road. Did they supply proper chains?

Why wouldn't you report the rental company for renting an unsafe vehicle?

EDIT TO ADD: What would you have done in a serious emergency when you even state the tires were useless? How would you have stopped or controlled the vehicle?

Was pretty touch and go. White nuckle drive. Was legal as they were m+s tires. Useless but legal.

[lesliepaul]

BIG accident tonight on the Coq............now to wait for the stupid "weather had nothing to do with it" comments.......as usual.

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/219749 ... ies-on-Coq