January 25, 2018
After several weeks of winter weather including this week’s recent freezing rain, staff and patients at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital were greeted with some tips, tools and reminders about safe winter driving.
In what has become an annual tradition, members of the Trauma Program’s Injury Prevention Team braved the early morning temperatures to hand out ice scrapers, emergency blankets, and winter driving safety tips.
“We take this opportunity each year to remind people about the importance of safe winter driving,” says Brandon Batey, Injury Prevention Specialist. “The sudden changes in road conditions that winter weather can cause mean that people need to be even more careful when driving. And a few precautions such as ensuring ice scrapers and emergency blankets are in your car can prevent injuries and save lives.”
Some tips to stay safe while on the road this winter include:
Plan ahead, use your judgment – check the weather forecast and plan extra time to get to your destination or whether you should delay your trip.
Be prepared – make sure your vehicle is winter ready – keep fuel and windshield washer fluid topped up and have emergency supplies with you (including warm clothes, jumper cables, blanket, shovel).
Maximize your visibility – clear all snow and ice completely off windows, side view mirrors, headlights, taillights and license plates. Keep your headlights on all the time; don’t rely on daytime running lights.
Slow down, stay alert, and in control – slow your speed based on the conditions and allow extra space between you and other vehicles, signal well in advance of turning to give other motorists time to react to your actions. Check your rearview and side mirrors, and always check the blind spots before changing lanes.
Buckle up and phone down – always!
The initiative to arm staff and patients with these winter weather tools is part of the London Middlesex Road Safety Committee’s winter driving safety campaign. This road safety includes LHSC’s Trauma Program, the Middlesex London Health Unit, Ministry of Transportation, City of London, County of Middlesex, London Police Services, OPP, CAA as well as other road safety partners. All work collaboratively to decrease traffic related fatalities and injuries in London and Middlesex.
More safe winter driving tips can be found at: Ontario Ministry of Transportation website
Winter is coming to Talk Trauma
Save the date: April 17 and 18 for Adult and Pediatric Talk Trauma Conferences. Registration will officially open at the end of February. This year’s theme is hypothermic injuries, treatment and recovery. Watch for more details in the coming weeks!
Handing out ice scrapers in the early morning hours are Jennifer Lindsay, Injury Project Associate from LHSC’s Trauma Program, and Brandon Batey, Injury Prevention Specialist with the Trauma Program.