Travelling this winter? Here's 5 ways to get more out of Drive B.C.
British Columbia’s mountainous landscapes often mean dicey driving conditions – especially in the wintertime.
It’s always a good idea to check Drive B.C. before using the highways. But travellers who are new to the system may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information packed into it, and the format appears somewhat out-of-date.
Nevertheless the information is useful and updated around the clock.
Here are some ways to get more out of the service:
1. Drive B.C. updates Twitter about serious incidents before updating the website: Find them on Twitter here.
2. Get a list of everything happening along your route: Use the Plan Your Route tab to let Drive B.C. know where you’re coming from and going to, and hazards of all magnitudes will be listed in the order you’ll approach them.
3. Watch video of the past 24 hours on the highways through stop-action photography: Highway cams are only updated with a still image every 15 minutes or so, but the collection of photos can be viewed in motion. Videos can give drivers an idea as to what times of the day a particular stretch of highway tends to congest, and abnormalities can sometimes be observed during extreme weather events.
4. For international travellers, there’s an Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS) for border traffic: Unfortunately, it’s not working at this time.
“Border wait time information has become unreliable,” according to Ministry of Transportation. “Until a fix is available this site will be unavailable. There is no current estimate when that will be.”
Members of the public can complain about it by emailing the Ministry.
Instead, drivers can check highway cams at B.C.'s border crossings.
5. Environment Canada Weather Alerts: Extreme weather is reported as it's ongoing, but Drive B.C. only shares limited information about weather forecasts. When any alerts are active throughout B.C., they can be found here.
Have you got any tips or tricks for this valuable service? Let us know in the comments below.
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