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By Emily Keller
ENFORCEMENT SERVICES

Winter driving and sidewalk clearing focuses of December’s STEP and BEEP

Dec 5, 2019 | 3:11 PM

Enforcement services will be focusing on winter driving for December’s Selected Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), and Sidewalk Clearing for the month’s Bylaw Enforcement Education Program (BEEP).

Sergeant Ross Gear with Enforcement Services, says it is important to leave time for yourself and be aware of road conditions.

“I think the single most important tip for winter driving is slow down, and then when you think you’ve slowed down, slow down, you know what I mean? Really, give yourself lots of time because, during the winter, we can expect that, especially in the north, we can expect that there’s going to be snow and ice on the roads even on nice days you’re going to get black ice.”

Other tips for safer winter driving include:

  • Keeping your vehicle free of frost and snow
  • Leave an adequate amount of space between vehicles
  • Ensuring headlights are on and not relying on daytime running lights
  • Signal in advance so other motorists can prepare and react
  • Installing winter tires

Gear adds that in the winter season, headlights are especially important due to less amount of daylight time.

For December’s BEEP initiative, the focus is on sidewalk clearing.

Sergeant Gear says sidewalks should be cleared around 24 hours after a major snowfall.

“We want pedestrians to be safe, we want pedestrians to be able to travel on the sidewalks and get where they’re going and be safe and some of our pedestrians have mobility impairment issues, you know, they might be using mobility impairment devices such as walkers or something like that, and keeping the sidewalk clear for them so that they can get where they’re going is very important.”

Gear says that while there is potential to be fined when a property owner or occupant does not clear the sidewalks, they do try to work with them first before it comes to that.

Snow and ice cannot be pushed onto a public street, with the exception of Downtown.

by Emily Keller