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North Shore drivers (mostly) behaving in snowy conditions this week, police say

With schools out and many working from home, traffic volumes are down considerably
Nick Laba
Nick Laba
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A car drives down Lonsdale with snow on it on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Failing to properly clear your vehicle of snow can be penalized with a $109 ticket. | Mark Teasdale

Compared to the commuter chaos that erupted when a cold snap descended on the Lower Mainland last week, most drivers are now heeding warnings to stay off the road.

While kids got a second snow day in a row, and many adults stayed put, relatively few calls related to snow or hazardous road conditions went into North Shore police departments.

The majority of drivers have been prepared for the inclement conditions by fitting appropriate tires, removing accumulated snow from their vehicles and adjusting their speed, said Const. Chris Bigland, spokesperson for the West Vancouver Police Department.

“There have been some minor vehicle collisions on secondary roads but fortunately no serious injuries or property damage as a result,” he said. Early on Wednesday, a truck lost control on 15th Street and crashed into a fence.

“Our officers have been proactively stopping vehicles for snow-related vehicle offences with a focus on education over enforcement.”

Over in North Vancouver, officers have been reminding drivers to keep snow off their cars.

“Yesterday, one of our members was pulling over quite a few vehicles near the Lonsdale [Avenue] exit off of Highway 1,” said Const. Mansoor Sahak with North Vancouver RCMP. Those drivers were pulled over and told to clear the snow off their vehicles.

“The officer went one step further and helped remove the snow from some of the vehicles,” he said.

While Sahak said that no tickets were issued, failing to properly clear the snow off your car can be penalized with a $109 ticket.

“It poses a risk to other drivers, to themselves – it's a hazard,” he said, adding that snow coming off a vehicle can obstruct that driver’s vision or others.

But overall, not many people have been on the road.

“I think the majority of people are taking the advice from officials to just stay home, essential travel only,” Sahak said. “We haven't seen a crazy spike in any accidents or calls for service.”

The Cut section of Highway 1 has been closed for brief periods of time as a few vehicles have become stuck there, but highway patrol has worked to quickly clear those incidents up.

“My advice to the public is just to stay patient,” he said.