Nova Scotians Encouraged to ‘Be Winter Ready’

The Province is encouraging all Nova Scotians to prepare themselves and their vehicles for winter conditions before the snow starts to fall.

“As Nova Scotians, we know our weather can be unpredictable,” said Finance and Treasury Board Minister Allan MacMaster, on behalf of Public Works Minister Kim Masland. “That’s why it’s so important to be prepared. Just as our maintenance staff and operators are getting ready to keep provincial roads safe, we want to remind Nova Scotians to get ready for safe winter driving, too.”

Booking a service appointment is the first step in being prepared for snow and ice on the roads. Vehicles should have snow tires, antifreeze and an emergency kit.

Other winter driving tips include:

• wear seatbelts (seatbelts are required year round)
• slow down and leave additional space between vehicles – it takes more time and distance to brake in adverse conditions
• maintain a safe distance from snowplows to give operators room to do their job
• keep the gas tank at least half full
• plan ahead and include extra time for possible delays.

To help spread the word about winter preparedness and road safety, the Province is running its annual Be Winter Ready campaign. Featuring television, radio and online ads, the campaign promotes safe driving tips and shares details about the tools and services that are available to make winter driving easier and safer.

Quotes:

"I encourage everyone to be mindful of winter road conditions, but also the human conditions before deciding to drive. Give yourself adequate time, slow down and always drive sober and distraction free. If you feel you need to interject before someone else drives when conditions are unsafe, please do your part to keep them and others road users safe. Please enjoy this holiday season safely and responsibly.”

– Inspector Don Moser, Assistant Support Services Officer, Nova Scotia RCMP

Quick Facts:

• in the winter months, the Department of Public Works is responsible for keeping provincial roads, highways and bridges safe and as clear as possible
• Public Works operates more than 400 snowplows and other snow-clearing vehicles, and crews are on the job 24/7
• provincial highway cameras are available online so Nova Scotians can see first-hand how weather may be affecting their route

Additional Resources:

Department of Public Works’ Winter Time web page: https://novascotia.ca/tran/winter/

Information on road conditions across the province is available by calling 511 or following https://twitter.com/511ns on Twitter

Nova Scotia highway cameras are available at: https://novascotia.ca/tran/cameras/all.asp

Nova Scotians with concerns about a provincial road can contact the Department’s operations contact centre at: 1-844-696-7737 or dpw-occ@novascotia.ca

Department of Public Works on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NS_PublicWorks