It's winter in Cape Breton and if nothing else, we can be sure of one thing: at some time or another we are going to be driving on roads that are covered with ice or snow, or at the very least slush.
Anne Marie Reilly and her husband John are very active seniors. They are retired, he from Marine Atlantic and she from the food service industry. They like to attend regular dart games and dances on Saturdays. The couple lives in Mill Creek and say at times the roads there can be a challenge. John says he wouldn’t drive on roads that are impassable or when there is an advisory to stay off the roads, but he feels very confident driving on snow covered roads.
“A few years ago, I started driving an all-wheel drive and I couldn't believe the difference it made when it comes to driving on snowy or slushy roads. It is solid, it is very close to driving a four-wheel drive.”
John said he is very comfortable behind the wheel and he says that is good because he does a lot of driving. “I am on the road all of the time. I am retired and like to be on the go. I play darts every week in Sydney Mines and my wife plays too. We are members of a seniors club that is very active and that gets us out and around a lot.”
“I try to make sure my Escape is ready to go because I have a few friends who depend on me to get them to appointments and things. My wife tells me I am always on the go driving someone somewhere or other. I like to be a help to people so when my friends need me I want to make sure I am there for them. It is important for me to have a vehicle that is reliable enough to make it through the snow and that it is always ready to go.”
“I am not saying that the all-wheel drive is any better when it comes to driving faster on the snowy or icy roads, but if I was to drive into a snow bank or a snow drift or through heavy snow, the extra traction could get me out pretty easy,”
John said he feels that some people have a false sense of security when they drive an all-wheel drive or four wheel drive. “I think people believe that if they are driving an all-wheel drive that they can drive faster on the highway. I see people driving four wheel drives that are passing other cars on the road that they shouldn’t be.”
“More than once I have seen drivers of four-wheel drives and all-wheel drives go off the road because they were driving too fast. People need to know that you have to adjust your speed no matter what type of vehicle you are driving.”
“You have a better chance of getting your vehicle back under control if you are driving a four-wheel drive. More so than a two-wheel drive, but there are still no guarantees that things won’t end bad.
“Back when I was driving a two-wheel drive I always knew that there could be a chance that the car could go off the road if I was driving too fast. Now that I am driving an all-wheel drive there is really no difference in how fast I can drive. Now I have confidence that if there is a lot of snow down I can get through it.”
According to John, for ultimate winter driving and safety you really need to be behind the wheel of a four-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive. “Let's face it, in winter, when you leave your house and go to a function where you are inside for a few hours at a time, you never know what you are going to face when you come out. You can never be too safe.
“My advice to all drivers is to simply just slow down. It doesn’t matter if you arrive where you are going a few minutes late, what matters most is driving safe.”
Sherry Mulley MacDonald is an author and freelance journalist. She is a lifelong resident of the Northside with a fondness for the community in which she lives.
