The recent snowfall has been a blessing for Marmot Basin and Jasper鈥檚 winter enthusiasts, but it鈥檚 also been a nightmare for the surrounding highways.
In the span of a few days, the Icefields Parkway was closed because of a high avalanche hazard and Highway 16 West was closed because of an actual avalanche.
Fortunately, in the case of the avalanche near Shale Hill, no one was around, so there were no resulting injuries.
But on the same road just a few days earlier, there was a tragedy. On Jan. 8, two children and an adult male were killed when the van they were in lost control and was t-boned by an oncoming semi truck. The same collision resulted in serious injuries for another child and an adult female.
Winter driving is always a risk. Even with the best winter tires and an experienced driver behind the wheel, accidents happen, sometimes with few injuries to the people involved and other times with tragic results.
Accidents like the one last week are a reminder to all of us that the thought 鈥渋t won鈥檛 happen to me鈥� isn鈥檛 enough to ensure we arrive home safely.
We are not invincible.
And yet, many people will list their impeccable driving history as evidence that they鈥檙e safe in even the worst driving conditions: 鈥淩emember the storm of 1984? I drove right through it鈥攏o problem. I even made it home before dinner.鈥�
What these people forget is winter driving is no place for ego. Road conditions are constantly changing, visibility is changing and the people who share the roadway change, too.
So, sometimes, no matter how skilled or diligent you are, the road dynamics can work against you.
That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important to revisit the winter driving messages we hear every year: adjust your speed to the road conditions and allot extra time to get where you鈥檙e going.
These messages might seem trite, but they鈥檙e important.
The Icefields Parkway, although scenic, is an unfriendly highway on the best of winter days, but in the midst of a major snowstorm, it can be an absolute nightmare, and the same can be said for Highway 16.
So this winter season, think twice before heading out on the road.
Check the road reports, check the weather and pack your car with survival items鈥攅xtra clothing, boots, blankets, food, water, candles, a small shovel and a first aid kit.
And if the conditions are treacherous, choose safety and delay your trip.
Better safe than sorry, right?
