Ice pad set up in Regina for winter driving training

Do you think there aren’t enough icy roads in Saskatchewan?

The Saskatchewan Safety Council (SSC) has built one more to help improve winter driving comfortability.

The organization has set up a safe training area across from the landfill in Regina.

It’s what they call an ice pad, set up at the bottom of a contained hill. Only one vehicle is allowed in at a time, so a crash can’t happen.

Al Gall is a traffic safety specialist who is working on the course. He explained why he believes their course is a good idea, especially for new drivers and immigrants who haven’t driven on icy roads before.

“You need to learn how to do it in your own vehicle. We provide a safe, controlled location here where you can practice without the fear of hitting anything or doing any damage,” he said.

The course starts by teaching people how their braking distance changes at different speeds while it’s icy.

It escalates, by having people locking up their brakes and seeing how long it’ll take them to stop, then adding in lane changes, as well as getting your vehicle back in a straight line after swerving, among other lessons.

Benson Akimbami moved to Saskatchewan from the United Kingdom in August.

He spent some time living in Ukraine when he was younger and dealt with typical winter driving, but it’s been a long time. When he heard about this course, he thought it was a great idea.

“Driving in wintery conditions is very precarious. While it’s essential, it requires everybody’s 1,000 per cent attention,” he said.

He did have some nerves to work through. Even when he’s not driving, it can be stressful.

“A lot of the time, if I’m not the one driving, I always hold on to my seat thinking ‘Oh my, what’s going to happen?’ So, that experience has always been with me, and it does not make you feel very confident,” he said.

Still, he’s very glad to learn. That being said, at his age, it feels a bit strange for him to be a student.

“Being 55, it’s not very easy to be a little learner again,” he said with a chuckle.

The SSC is focussing on the course in Regina for now but plans on expanding to other spots in the province in the future.

Those who are interested can see the sign-up page here.