Winter Driving - Preeceville's Main Street with the Mayor Garth Harris for Thursday Nov 19th, 2015 8:35 am

Working Draft for:

Preeceville's Main Street with the Mayor Garth Harris for Thursday Nov 19th, 2015 8:35 am

With GX94's Craig Wallebeck > see him @ http://www.gx94radio.com/craig-wallebeck

This week we focus on:   Winter Driving "Just as you need to dress differently for winter, you also have to adjust your driving habits. Be sure to wipe loose snow off the hood of your vehicle so that it doesn't blow onto your windshield and obstruct your vision while you drive. Ensure that your headlights, taillights and licence plates are visible, and that your windows are completely defrosted before you hit the road. If possible, switch to winter tires. Their deep treads are ideal for clearing away snow, giving you maximum traction and control. Studded tires are a good choice on wet roads when the temperature is near zero. However, they don't outperform winter tires in freezing conditions. Check the tire pressure often to help prevent a blowout. Your owner's manual or the tire's sidewall will indicate the proper pressure - usually between 30 and 33 lb/in2 for an average passenger car. Just don't forget that tires lose pressure at the rate of 1 lb/in2 for every 5° C drop in temperature. Winter driving guidelines; With so much attention paid to winter driving preparations, it's easy to forget about the driving itself. When you're on the road, remember to give yourself more time to reach your destination. Start your trip slowly, testing your braking and steering to 'get a feel' for the road. Once you've reached a level of comfort, you can gradually increase your speed. The key is to maintain control of your vehicle at all times, even if that means driving under the posted speed limit. Stay alert as you approach intersections. Scan the road for traction, such as sand or bare pavement, and always accelerate and decelerate gradually. If you do find your vehicle skidding, remain calm and take your foot off the accelerator. Don't lock the brakes. Instead, brake steadily, look where you want to go and steer in that direction. Try to avoid using cruise control on the highway during the winter. Icy sections on otherwise dry surfaces can cause your wheels to spin, compromising your control of the vehicle and putting you at risk of a collision. Leave at least a 3-second following distance between your vehicle and the 1 in front of you. If the driver ahead of you suddenly brakes, you'll have the time and space needed to stop safely, ensuring that you and everyone on the road arrives at their destination safely" https://www.sgi.sk.ca/individuals/safety/training/driveright/winterprep.html SKIDSMART COLLISION AVOIDANCE: "Every driver has had their vehicle in some type of skid at one point during their driving experience. Whether it was to stop the vehicle quickly and unexpectedly, swerving to avoid a potential hazard, or loss of control on the road surface, the situation was serious. The purpose of Skid Smart is to provide information on the conditions that produce a skid and how to recover from them, focusing mainly on winter conditions. The first part of the course is in the classroom where theory and techniques are covered. The second part is a hands-on practical application of these techniques on our outdoor skid pad" The main topics covered in the classroom are: Preparing your vehicle for winter High end and low end vision The definition and causes of a skid The "safety zone" of your vehicle Understanding types of tires and treads Proper braking techniques with different braking systems Types of skid and how to control them On the outdoor skid pad you will learn: Straight line emergency braking Emergency braking before and after steering How vehicle speed affects stopping distances Controlling your vehicle around objects Vehicle drifting Challenging the driver's skills in emergency situations Proper steering techniques and hand placement exercise For more details on the course including course dates, pricing, and registration forms, download our information package: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE INFORMATION PACKAGE http://www.sasksafety.org/training/traffic/skidsmart-collision-avoidance Events: - The Curling Club has lots of fun events planned again this year. Contact any club member for more information. - The walking club is running Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, 9 till 10 am at the Legion Hall. Everyone welcome. All you have to bring are clean runners.

- Nov 21st - Influenza Clinics - At Club 60 - 11 am - 3 pm Bring your Saskatchewan Health Card and wear short sleeves. December 16, 4 pm - 6 pm

- November 26th, - Lioness Club Turkey Bingo at the Legion Hall seating at 7 bingo at 8:00 PM

- Nov 27 and 28 - Senior Boys AAA Volleyball Provincials at the Preeceville School, come out and cheer on our Senior Boys. GO PANTHERS GO!

- Nov 29, 2015 - Dramatic Reading of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"  7:00pm  -Trinity United Church

- Nov 30th - Preeceville Hospital Auziliary Christmas Auction & Raffle - Club 60 6:30 pm. Donations such as crafts, baking, sewing, knitting, etc. are greatly appreciated and can be dropped off with Grace Predy or Marg Neitling. For more information, call 306-547-2854.

- Dec 5th - 33rd Annual Christmas Craft & Bake Sale - Legion Hall - Come out and enjoy homemade crafts and indulge in baking, 11 am - 3 pm. If you would like more information, call Barb at 547-4651 or 547-3444. Proceeds go to the Preeceville Library.

- Dec 5th - The Preeceville Community Hall is hosting a community wide Christmas party. Everyone is welcome as a group or individually. The cost is $30/person. This includes supper and entertainment. The entertainment is the Paper Bag Players. Cocktails start at 6 supper to follow at 7. Call 306-547-2810 if you require more information.

- Dec 6th - Inter Community Carol Festival - Sturgis Compsite High School - 2:30 pm The Festival is sponsored by the Preeceville & District Ministerial Association. Everyone welcome. For more information, call Miles at 547-4645 or 547-2059.

- Dec 9th to 12th - Festival of Trees - Trinity United Church - The Church Board is looking for individuals/businesses/organizations to decorate an artificial tree at your own expense to be displayed in the Church December 9th - 12th. The size and theme of the tree is your choice. The trees can be sold, silent auctioned or just displayed. More info - Lori 547-2063, Amanda 547-2806.

- And as always if you wish to have an event promoted visit and post it to our Community Events Calendar at www.townofPreeceville.ca

- Check out all the summer events in Preeceville by visiting our web site and downloading our 2015 Vistitor Guide at: Click to view our 2015 Visitor Guide

Follow the Mayor on the town site at http://www.townofpreeceville.ca/default.aspx?page=65&cid=6 follow me on blogspot at http://mayorharris.blogspot.ca/

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