Princeton RCMP are urging residents to slow down on slippery, ice-covered roads.
The posted speed limit is intended for driving in ideal conditions, not during the winter months.
Accidents in Princeton usually increase during the winter because people aren’t paying attention or driving too fast for the conditions.
Sharp curves and hills outside of town pose the most danger. In town, drivers should be careful in school zones for children walking near the road.
The RCMP recommends using winter tires in Princeton, but cautions drivers to still be careful even if they have them.
Cars with winter tires can still easily skid on slippery roads.
But drivers aren’t the only ones who need to be careful during the winter.
Sidewalks in town have been very slippery lately, causing people to slide and fall.
Even crossing the street can pose problems.
It’s the responsibility of businesses and homeowners to salt, sand and clear snow from their sidewalks.
Freezing rain occurs when rain falls from warmer air above into cooler air further down. It melts from snow to rain and freezes instantly when it hits the ground.
Princeton is the most common area in the Similkameen Valley to experience freezing rain because cold air gets trapped in the valley, said Doug Lundquist, meteorologist for Environment Canada.
If a highway has been recently treated, stay well back from trucks that can pick up and throw pebbles and rocks, the British Columbian Automobile Association recommends.