Tips for staying out of a highway pileup

EDMONTON – As the road conditions worsen, highway pileups seem to become a more common occurrence.

The latest was a 10-vehicle crash that shut down part of Highway 16 on Monday. Over the weekend, a 21-car pileup was reported east of Edmonton; and last Wednesday, at least 40 vehicles were involved in a crash on Highway 21. That’s still nothing compared to the pileup of more than 100 cars last winter near Leduc.

So what can you do to ensure that you don’t get stuck in one of these messes?

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We spoke to an Alberta Motor Association (AMA) representative, who had the following advice:

• Stay home if you can.
• If you do have to venture out, slow down. Highway roads can be covered in sheer ice, and if you highway speeds, there’s a good chance you will lose control.
• Stay out of packs (those groups of cars that form on roadways). If you get caught in a pack and there is a crash, there isn’t a lot that you can do.
• If you can, slow down and put as much space between you and other drivers as possible.

And if you do end up getting involved in a multi-vehicle pileup?

“Make sure you are wearing your seatbelt,” said Randy Loyk with the AMA. “Try and pull over to the right or the shoulder and get out of harm’s way.

“Do not get out of the vehicle at that point. Wait until things slow down. It’s safer to be in the vehicle, strapped in with your seatbelt, than to be wandering around the highway.”

With files from Quinn Ohler, Global News