Unprepared drivers contribute to Lower Mainland winter storm gridlock

The winter wallop that slammed into British Columbia’s south coast Tuesday hit right in the middle of the evening commute, creating a critical mass of gridlock that delayed plows and sanding trucks.

Part of the problem may have been a result of over-confident drivers trying to navigate the snowy streets without winter tires. 

"If your vehicle's not ready for it but you feel you're ready for it, you're not ready for it because you're in your vehicle – and the vehicle is the key component in this,” said Josh Smythe, customer care manager for BCAA.

Mainroad Contracting, the company responsible for keeping most Lower Mainland highways and bridges clear, had 40 trucks on the road for plowing and salting.

But at the height of the storm, most of them were stuck in traffic at a standstill.

“It’s just unfortunate that the travelling public all kind of left at the same time even though we had ample enough warning to get out earlier, or work from home,” said the company’s general manager Darren Ell.

“Once that gridlock tied up that Delta/Richmond area, our trucks are out there trying to get through that as well, but they can’t go anywhere.”

Many commercial truckers also found themselves in trouble with some big rigs jack-knifed across multiple lanes of traffic and contributing to the significant delays in getting road clearing equipment where it needed to be.

Smythe says trucking companies and their drivers should consider parking their vehicles for a few hours if they are not well-equipped for and experienced in driving in winter conditions.

"At the end of the day, if they’re out in a situation like that, they're going to be stuck in traffic and shutting down the business anyway,” he said.

Before the storm, the Ministry of Transportation used its DriveBC social media accounts to warn the public about the impending snow.

A post on Twitter encouraged people to check their wiper blades, fill their windshield washing fluid, and carry a snow brush.

https://twitter.com/DriveBC/status/1597742447467311104

But it made no mention of proper snow tires and did not encourage people to stay home if they had any doubts about their vehicle, or driving skills, performing up to standard in winter weather.

"In terms of doing it better, I think there's always opportunities to take a look at what our public communication looked like in advance of the weather event and making sure we're exploring all avenues,” said Janelle Staite, a regional director of highway services.