It’s important to be prepared if you have to drive snowy, winter roads. Along with slowing down, it’s important to have good winter tires and check them regularly as low temperatures can reduce tire pressure. Pack a winter emergency kit in your vehicle in case you get stranded or stuck. Your kit should include:

One wouldn't think that stopping at a stop sign would be such a problem for drivers. It seems relatively simple, come to a complete stop, look both ways and then go if it is safe to do so. With the poor compliance rate, we should ask is the stop sign the best form of traffic control for intersections that are not controlled by traffic signals?

I read an article recently about conspicuity for police officers working on the highway. It suggested that the reflective vests and jackets that we use to stand out and be identified by drivers at night were not very effective. A driver had to approach closely when using low beam headlights to see a reflection, and the reflections that were seen did not immediately suggest that what the driver was looking at was a pedestrian.

Chances are good that when you think about car insurance your first thought is about how much it is going to cost you rather than how well it is going to protect you if something goes wrong. You might even be tempted to shade the truth about who will be driving your vehicle or how they will be using it to reduce those costs.

Safety Message from the Oceanside RCMP

Tips for safe winter driving:

During the Christmas holidays, on average, 69 people are injured in 340 crashes on Vancouver Island every year.

Every year during New Year's, on average, 17 people are injured in 78 crashes on Vancouver Island.

This short video from the Western Cape government Safely Home initiative will have you rolling on the floor with laughter — before it punches you in the gut. Paired with the hashtag #itcanwait, the video emphasizes that nothing is more important that getting home safely without hurting yourself or others. Of course, the thought applies just as well here in Oceanside as it does in Africa. Leave the phone alone and just drive.

We all know that the law requires that we wear our seat belts when driving. The Motor Vehicle Act says in part "..wear the complete seat belt assembly in a properly adjusted and securely fastened manner." Why should we worry, and how do we know what is proper?

This year's holiday CounterAttack campaign is kicking off this weekend with roadchecks set up across the province. The B.C. government, police and ICBC are urging drivers to plan ahead and make smart decisions to get home safely this holiday season.

I pick up my grand daughters one afternoon a week at their rural elementary school. The kindergarten classes march out in line and wait patiently while their teacher identifies each child's caregiver and dismisses them individually. They now join the free for all to walk to the vehicles parked in the area and go home.