Winter can be the most dangerous time of the year for employees who drive for work in BC. Employers and supervisors need to plan ahead and be prepared for the change in seasons to help keep drivers safe. Use our templates and other resources to reduce risk and protect your most valuable asset — your staff.
What employers and supervisors need to know
Any work-related driving puts employees at risk. Winter increases the risk, especially when drivers go too fast for the road and weather conditions. Nearly 40% of all work-related crashes resulting in injury and time off work occur from November through February in BC.
The highest-risk occupations, according to WorkSafeBC statistics, are:
- Transport truck drivers
- Delivery and courier service drivers
- Bus drivers, subway operators, and other transit operators
- Community health support services employees
Meeting your safety responsibilities
Employers are required to keep their employees safe when they drive for work. Supervisors have similar duties for employees who report directly to them. Make sure you know your responsibilities.
To help meet them at this time of year, address winter driving in your road safety plan. You’ll find a lot of the information you need in our What Employers Need to Know (PDF 1 MB) and What Supervisors Need to Know (PDF 177 KB) guides. Review our Winter Driving Safety Planning Tool Kit for steps you can take before, during, and after winter.
If you have vehicles over 5500 kg GVW, review our commercial carriers information.
Our guide for the community and home care sector (PDF 1 MB) suggests 4 steps employers can take to help keep employees safe while driving.
Identifying winter hazards and assessing risk
Hazard identification and risk assessment are the foundation of workplace safety. Start by figuring out the unique winter driving-related hazards that employees will most likely face. Remember to think about everyone on staff who drives, whether it’s a full-time delivery person or a sales rep seeing clients. It doesn’t matter whether they use their own vehicle or one owned by your organization.
Here are some of the common hazards your drivers may come across, and steps you can take to reduce the risks they create:
| Hazard |
Actions to eliminate hazard or reduce risk
|
Attitude and experience
- Complacent about winter driving
- Doesn’t perform a pre-trip inspection
- Less than 2 years of winter driving experience
|
- Reassign trip to more experienced drivers.
- Provide training.
- Review winter driving policies, procedures, hazards, and risk reduction with employee.
|
Impairment
- Stress, fatigue, illness
- Medication, drugs
- Poor vision
|
- Reassign trip to an employee who is fit to drive.
- Assess the risk for each driver. Support and intervene as required.
|
| Hazard |
Actions to eliminate hazard or reduce risk
|
Vehicle not ready for winter
- Winter tires not installed
- Winterization maintenance not completed
- Driving emergency kit not in vehicle
|
- Reschedule or reassign trip to drivers with a vehicle that is fully equipped for winter driving.
- Schedule a maintenance appointment to install winter tires and perform winterization.
- Put a vehicle emergency kit in trunk.
|
| Hazard |
Actions to eliminate hazard or reduce risk
|
Long hours
- Driving long distances
- Driving after a long shift
|
- Consider a different travel method (e.g., airplane or bus).
- Use journey management and trip planning to reduce hours spent behind the wheel.
- Schedule rest breaks every 2 hours.
- Assign a second driver to reduce risk of fatigue.
|
| Night driving |
- Reschedule to daytime hours.
- Ensure the driver is not fatigued.
- Assign a second driver.
- Ensure the driver knows how to operate lights and high beams.
|
Stranded
- Road closures
- Vehicle breakdown
- Extreme weather event
|
- Ensure the driver understands your emergency road safety procedures, including your check-in system and rules for working/driving alone.
- Ensure the vehicle has an emergency kit.
|
| Time constraints |
- Reschedule the trip so the driver doesn’t feel rushed.
- Revise the work schedule to ensure the driver has adequate time to safely complete the trip.
|
Urban roads
- Congestion
- Aggressive drivers
|
- Reroute to a less congested route.
- Remind drivers to reduce speed and leave at least 4 seconds of space between themselves and the vehicle ahead of them.
|
Route
- New route
- Unfamiliar route
|
- Reroute to a well-travelled road.
- Reassign driving to an employee with experience on the route.
|
Rural roads
- Isolated
- Poorly maintained
- Limited visibility and/or lighting
|
- Reroute to a well-travelled road.
- Ensure the vehicle is equipped with an emergency kit.
- Ensure drivers understand your working/driving alone procedure.
- Use a check-in system.
- Ensure the driver has phone or radio communication.
|
| Hazard |
Actions to eliminate hazard or reduce risk
|
Weather
- Changing conditions
- Blowing snow
- Freezing temperatures
- Fog
|
- Check weather and road conditions frequently and be ready to change your trip plan.
- Review emergency driving procedures so drivers know what to do in a crash or if they’re stranded.
|
Road
- Pooling water
- Black ice
- Slopes or steep grades
- Sharp bends
- Exposed bridges
- Low-lying roads
- Varying traction due to sun and shade
|
- Ensure the driver has the skills and training for the trip.
- Review road safety policies, procedures, hazards, and risk reduction with the driver.
- Plan routes on well-maintained roads and highways.
- Install winter tires and, if necessary, supply chains.
- Have a vehicle emergency kit.
- Review emergency driving procedures so drivers know what to do in a crash or if they’re stranded.
|
Developing policy and procedures
Once you understand the hazards and risks associated with the type of driving your employees do, put some safety guidelines in place to deal with them. Set safe driving expectations and supervise employees to make sure they’re being met.
We recommend you use our winter driving safety policy and procedures (DOC 76 KB) and safe work procedure (PDF 165 KB) templates. They can be adapted to suit organizations of any size.
Review our Policies and Procedures Tool Kit to learn more.
Training and educating drivers
Assessing drivers helps you understand whether they have the skills needed to safely complete the work you assign them. It’s important to review their winter driving skills. Drivers may be rusty since they haven’t been on icy or snowy roads for many months.
New and young workers need training and orientation. Experienced drivers need refreshers. Have them all review our Driving for the Conditions Tool Kit and Practical BC Winter Driving Tips webinar. Use our tailgate meeting guides (PDF 2 MB) at safety meetings to emphasize key driving safety points. The guides cover 8 different topics, from winter tire specifications to driving in poor weather conditions.
You want drivers to feel prepared. Make sure they:
- Have the equipment they need, such as winter tires and a vehicle emergency kit
- Have the winter driving training they need
- Understand and follow your policy and procedures for keeping them safe
- Know how to report a winter driving hazard
- Know how to determine whether driving for work is necessary
- Know what to do in an emergency or if they get stranded
- Have confidence in their winter driving skills
Resources
Tool Kit
Winter driving safety requires year-round planning and execution. It starts with preparing drivers and vehicles before winter arrives.
Guide
Employers need to reduce the risks for their winter drivers. Use this guide to help understand legal requirements, trip planning, and how to prepare drivers and vehicles.
Guide
Supervisors need to reduce the risks for their winter drivers. Use this guide to help understand your responsibilities, hazard identification, and vehicle and driver preparation.
Guide
The health care sector has a high number of winter crashes. Learn 4 steps employers can take to reduce the risks when workers drive to meet clients.
Tool Kit
Identifying road and driving hazards is the first step to avoiding them. Get the tools and templates to identify potential hazards for your company drivers.
Template
Organizations of all sizes can benefit from having a winter driving policy. Customize this template to help keep your drivers safe.
Template
Work drivers need to know the procedures you want them to follow in winter conditions. Customize this template to address the driving hazards they face.
Tool Kit
Policies and procedures help keep workers safe and prevent crashes by reducing risk. Use our templates to create your own road safety policies and procedures.
Tool Kit
Employers must ensure anyone driving for their business is doing so legally and safely. Use our driver assessment tool kit to assess and orient your drivers.
Tool Kit
No matter how much experience you have, driving in snow, rain, fog, or icy conditions can be treacherous. Use our tips to help you and your passengers get home safe.
Webinar
Winter driving requires more planning, equipment, and patience. Apply these easy-to-follow tips when driving for work or personal reasons.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
These tailgate meeting guides cover 8 different winter driving safety topics, from winter tire specifications to driving in poor weather conditions.
Form
Employers need to plan for winter driving before, during, and after the season. Use this calendar to keep your plans on track.
Handout
A safe trip begins with a plan. It helps you get home safe. Use this brochure to prepare, and plan your trip, before you get behind the wheel.
Tool Kit
Driving for work may be one of the most dangerous things your employees do. Journey management can help reduce the risks.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to explain employee safety responsibilities when using a personal vehicle for work purposes.
Handout
An emergency kit is essential for every work vehicle. Use this checklist to put together a kit that can be used in all weather and driving conditions.
Form
Employers and supervisors are required to help keep drivers safe. Use this planner to identify hazards, assess risks, and take actions to reduce the danger.
Online Course
Learn how to plan, implement, and monitor a winter driving safety program in your organization using Shift into Winter resources, including policy and procedures templates.
Handout
Is your vehicle properly equipped in case you become stranded? Do you know what to do if you get stuck in a storm? Use our checklist to help keep yourself safe.
Tip Sheet
Whether you are a new or seasoned driver, winter roads can be dangerous. Use these driving tips to help you prepare and stay safe at work.
Tip Sheet
Winter roadways offer the ultimate challenge – and danger. Use these tips to help prepare and drive safely in winter conditions.
Guide
Use this guide for fleet operators, owner-operators, and drivers to help improve safety and vehicle reliability in winter driving conditions.
Guide
Winter is not “business as usual” for commercial carriers. Use this guide to prepare dispatchers, drivers, and vehicles for winter road and weather conditions.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with employees about driving safely in foggy conditions.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with employees about safe driving tips for wet roads.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with employees about steps they can take to help avoid crashing when snow is on the road.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with drivers about keeping themselves safe in winter conditions.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with employees about 5 tips for safer driving when roads are icy.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with employees about how to get their vehicle winter-ready for their own safety.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with employees about adapting their driving for winter roads and weather.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with employees about anticipating and safely responding to winter road conditions.
Tailgate Meeting Guide
Use this guide to lead a discussion with employees about winter tire laws and the types of tires that meet the requirements.
