Coastal Training Consultants Ltd.

11/02/2024

Hello, my friends. I have a quick request for everyone driving this winter: Give your snowplow operators a break. These people often sacrifice Christmas and sometimes New Year’s Eve with their families so they can make the roads safe for you. They work long hours and, when everyone else is asked to stay off the roads, they are told to go out there and make things safe. Many of the operators are new this year and have little or no experience, but they are going to be ready for the snow.
And please:
- Do not shovel your driveway snow onto the street as it will end up back in your driveway.
- Get your vehicles off of the streets so the plows can remove the snow.
- Collect your garbage cans as soon as possible so they are not a problem for the operators (in some cases they may be delivered by air mail 😉).
- Remind the kids not to throw snowballs at the plow trucks; this is dangerous and scares the bejesus out of the operator who maybe working a 12 or 16 hour shift.

This year sounds like a more difficult winter for most drivers as they are forecasting more snow and cold this year than in the recent past.
A few things to do before winter:
- get your car tuned up
- if you have to drive, get some good tires and, if you have to drive to the interior or anywhere outside of the Lower Mainland, get winter tires and consider learning about chaining your tires.
- keep extra windshield washer fluid with you
- have warm clothes and some basic survival items like water, a blanket, and snacks
- keep the top half of the fuel tank full to prevent water in the fuel
- it’s always a good idea to use some anti-freeze in the door locks on your vehicle
- if you are travelling north, have a shovel and some sand with you
- keep your cell phone charged and if you get out of your vehicle, keep it with you in case you fall or have something else happen where you can’t get back into your vehicle

One final note: do not talk to the snowplow operators about road priorities as they cannot make decisions. This is done by supervisors (they don’t need abuse) and plow drivers cannot leave their routes. If you have a concern, call your municipality and they can help you.
In the end, be safe and use your good sense to make the right decisions.
I know this is a long post, but we want you to be ready for a safe and enjoyable winter. Have a great weekend everyone!

06/17/2024

Good morning. I hope everyone is having a great Monday. The summer season will be upon us soon and so with the summer traffic. I am asking everyone to show patience in traffic we have a lot of visitors from everywhere and they are not familiar with our roads so they might be travelling slower then traffic. Give them a break and show some respect. There will be a lot of RVs as well with people driving them that maybe only drive them a couple of times a year so show them extra room. Let them change lanes without competing for the space. This is something that has changed a lot recently. People not let you change lanes by speeding up. There will also be more bicycles on the road and with the recent changes in the laws you have to give them more room. Motorcycles are also becoming more common this time of year and again some people on ride a limited time very year and might not be as confident so afford them extra room as well. We have a fantastic province and we know why people want to come here. Let’s make the visit a positive and fun experience. Have a great summer everyone and be safe on the road, on your bicycle, when walking, and of course on the water. Keep hydrated including your pets.

10/21/2023

Does this mean that we’re famous now?

All jokes aside, we’re happy to provide training to our local municipalities to help them prepare for our winter months. We appreciate Port Coquitlam’s commitment to ensuring their drivers are ready to safely care for their roads.

09/04/2023

Good morning my friends. Remember tomorrow schools are back and there will be lots of kiddies on the streets and roads. Slow down and give them space everyone has family going to school starting tomorrow. There will be considerably more traffic as well so give yourself more time and be patient lots of new drivers going to school.
Also have a good look at the posted speed limits in the school zones as they are changing. Burnaby school zone is now in effect from 7am-10pm on regularly scheduled school days. There will be law enforcement out there.
Remember that when you are travelling 30 mph (50k/h) you are travelling about 45 feet per second (15 metres). The average driver can react in 3/4 of one second or about 33 feet if you are paying attention so leave the phones alone!!
Be safe and protect all children regardless of age. Enjoy your day and be safe.

03/01/2023

Some pictures from Cabo today on
Our snorkeling trip. Had a fantastic day and saw lots of whales. Perfect day all around!

01/10/2023

Good afternoon, I hope everyone is having a great day. I just completed a session on Winter Driving and received some really good feedback.

As an overview to this topic, some of the basics of winter driving include preparing your vehicle, preparing yourself, giving yourself extra time to get to your destination.

There are several things to consider when venturing out on the roadways in less than ideal driving conditions and these include the six conditions of driving:

- The driver
- The vehicle
- Traffic conditions
- Weather conditions
- Road conditions
- Lighting levels

As a driver, you should be confident in your abilities but not over-confident and don’t take things for granted.

In the Lower Mainland, we generally don’t have long winters so any driving experience in winter conditions is limited at best. We do, however, live in a region that produces the worst conditions for snow and ice. We normally get snow right at the freezing level which means it contains considerably more water than cold frozen snow. (If you have shovelled this wet heavy snow, you’ll be familiar with this). The snow compacts very quickly and turns to ice which, in turn, causes the roads to become very slick very quickly. In anticipation of these conditions, road maintenance organizations will try to apply salt or salt brine prior to the onset of a storm. Salt brine can be sprayed on the road which works well providing no rain is expected as rain will very quickly wash away the beneficial effects of the brine.
Your vehicle is another consideration ~ is it equipped for winter? good tires installed? undergone a winter tune up including windshield washer antifreeze? Do you make a habit of keeping the top half of the fuel tank full? These are all important factors when driving in less than ideal conditions. Also, is your vehicle equipped with four-wheel drive? Do you know how to properly engage the four-wheel drive feature? If your vehicle is equipped with ABS (anti-lock braking), do you know how to use it?

Driving in any type of traffic is a challenge but when road conditions deteriorate, some drivers seem to forget their common sense and judgment. They make sudden moves and, unfortunately, make some bad decisions. Always be on your guard when driving but especially during severe weather.

Throughout the year, weather changes frequently and the winter months are no different. Snow and ice can arrive quickly and sometimes unexpectedly. In BC we deal with elevation changes. Freezing levels drop and rise during the day. A highway or main road, even in good condition, with elevation changes can see a dramatic change in road surface due to ice and snow which might not have been expected. Fog can also occur unexpectedly. Specific times of day that can also see road surfaces change are at dawn and dusk. Dawn usually has a temperature drop just before sunrise. Wet roads can turn icy, and snow can begin to fall.

Decreased hours of daylight light is always a problem in the winter as the days are usually very short, especially the further north you travel. When the sun is finally up, it is generally either glaring in your eyes while driving or in your rear view mirror almost blinding you. For these reasons, always keep a pair of sunglasses with you in the winter … and use them. I have found that the sun is most difficult to deal with in the winter as is sits lower on the horizon.

There are many things to consider when driving in the winter. Is the trip necessary? Is it far or near? Can you find another mode of travel? When you do decide to drive make sure that you and your vehicle are ready. Have a winter driving kit in the vehicle with:

- small shovel
- bag of sand
- tow rope or chain
- flashlight
- candles
- matches
- battery charger for your cell phone
- jumper cables
- winter gloves
- rain gear
- water and food (granola bars?)
- extra socks

These are just a few items; I’m sure you can add a lot more!

When driving in winter … or any time for that matter … take the time to manage your driving. This includes giving yourself adequate time for the trip - meaning extra time! Pick a route that is well maintained. Keep the fuel tank full. And most of all, let others know where you are going and when you are expected to arrive. And, of course, once you reach your destination, be sure to text or phone them to let them know you have arrived.

Take time to Live!!

12/31/2022

Coastal Training is wishing everyone a healthy and Happy New Year. If you are going out tonight plan a ride home. 2023 will be a good year and hopefully a happy and safe year for everyone . Remember to always take the extra time to do things right including driving . Any decision can be life or death! Make it life!!

06/23/2021

Now the Covid is on a downturn and everybody is getting a chance to get out and start travelling (provincially), please remember to show patience to other drivers and give everybody a break. The last thing you want to do is be involved in a collision of any sort when you’re heading out on holidays. Give yourself extra time and try and plan to travel during non-peak hours. Enjoy your summer safely😊

04/01/2021

Happy April First! As Spring brings flowers, it also brings rainy days, here are some tips for driving safely

Preparation and proper driving techniques are keys to keeping your car on the road with the inevitable spring precipitation

03/29/2021

Hope your Monday is less stressful and dangerous than these guys. At least it's a short work week. Please contact us today to make sure this never happens www.coastaltraining.ca

03/24/2021

Visit us at www.coastaltraining.ca to help steer your company's future in the right direction🚜

03/22/2021

Contact us today for any of your business’s heavy equipment operator training (as well as spelling) needs.
www.coastaltraining.ca