10 tips for safe spring driving

Us drivers get excited about the arrival of summer, the season when driving is easier and more enjoyable.

The sun rises earlier and sets later, there’s no more ice or snow on the road, and it’s possible to drive with the windows down without freezing inside the car.

While there are many positive aspects to the arrival of spring on the road, this season also brings its share of safety guidelines, especially regarding sharing the road.

Spring heralds the return of motorcycles

Indeed, in the spring, motorcycles and motorized vehicles of all kinds emerge from their winter hibernation and hit the road again. As a driver, you must double-check your blind spots to ensure their safety.

After several months without paying attention to their vulnerability—I’m thinking of the fact that we can’t hear them approaching from a distance and their small size—it’s normal that some preventative safety practices are less frequent. Remember to get back into the habit of thoroughly checking your blind spots!

Various Ways to Be Courteous to Motorcyclists

When you only drive cars, there are certain things you don’t necessarily think about when you see motorcyclists. Rain or shine, you’re rarely bothered by the elements inside your car, unlike motorcyclists.

If it’s pouring rain and you have a motorcyclist behind you, let them pass. Pull over to the right for a few seconds; it won’t make a difference to you, but it will make EVERYTHING TO THEM. In your car, you’re protected from the rain, but they aren’t.

Do you think they’d like to get to their destination faster than you to get dry? This also applies early in the morning or at sunset. When the temperature drops, it gets very cold on a motorcycle in the spring. We’re eager to reach our destination to warm up.

In the evening, don’t ride near motorcyclists; your headlights are much bigger and, above all, much higher, making it easier to blind them. Be patient; they’ll let you pass when they notice you, which probably won’t take long!

At dawn, when the ground is covered in dew, make a habit of moving well in front of a motorcycle when passing it. Water on the road is kicked up high and far behind your car. A motorcyclist who is repeatedly overtaken in a tight and discourteous manner can end up soaked by your tires.

The Spring Thaw

Every driver knows that with the arrival of spring comes the spring thaw season for trucks. Sharing the road with these behemoths during this period requires some adjustments to driving behavior.

First, you’re probably used to trucks climbing hills slowly, between 15 and 30 km/h depending on their load. During the spring thaw, semi-trailers are lighter, which means they climb faster.

Don’t be surprised if you have difficulty passing a truck on a short incline if your cruising speed isn’t high.

Think about the top of the hill. When the truck reaches its cruising speed of 105 km/h, were you driving faster BEFORE the incline? If the answer is no, then don’t pass the truck, because once it reaches the top, it will have to perform an overtaking maneuver to get back in front of you.

As a truck driver, it’s incredibly frustrating to have to pass the same car repeatedly because drivers aren’t patient on hills. Especially since we minimize our maneuvers based on the length of our vehicle, all for YOUR safety.

Common Behaviors to Eliminate During the Thaw

You probably engage in some undesirable behaviors around trucks without even realizing it. During the thaw, it’s important to remain vigilant. Trucks are faster, yet they don’t take up less space.

The habit you’ve developed of passing a truck and pulling in front of it at a red light is pointless during the thaw; it will accelerate almost as quickly as you at the green light.

The habit you’ve developed of pulling in front of a truck before a line of traffic on the highway, forcing it to brake more sharply.

This is dangerous, especially in front of a tanker truck: during the thaw, the fluid inside the tanker creates a wave that can compromise effective braking.

The habit you’ve developed of overtaking mid-curve at high speed, especially on double highway exits.

DO NOT STAY ON THE OUTER SIDE OF THE CURVE alongside a semi-trailer truck.

During the spring thaw, we adjust our speed to avoid tipping over on curves. Keep in mind that you can never be certain what kind of driver you’re next to; protect yourself.

Driving in the Spring

Driving in the spring is pleasant and easier, but it’s important to adapt your driving to ensure safe driving throughout the season.

As drivers, we share the road with a multitude of vehicle types, each with its own specific characteristics. Learn about them and be courteous.

Don’t let spring become a season to dread on the road.

Alexanne