It’s the first day of snow in Kelowna and apparently the cops are already fed up with the idiocy they’ve seen out on the roads. The Kelowna RCMP just sent out a press release to remind people of what should be obvious: It’s winter out there and we need to adjust how we drive.

It’s yet more evidence that in general, people are not well suited to driving. We are just to easily distracted to be trusted with the control of fast moving heavy objects. Maybe Google’s plan to come up with self-driving cars is actually a good idea.

Here’s what the cops had to say about winter driving in Kelowna:

Last night saw the first of possibly many snows this winter season in Kelowna. The RCMP responded to a number of reported collisions caused by the weather conditions but none of the crashes appeared to have been severe. To the RCMP, public safety is paramount and so police are offering some timely seasonal driving tips to ensure motorists are equipped to handle whatever winter blows at them.

1)Get your head in the game:-it’s winter and driving habits must change to suit the season. Be aware that the road surface beneath your vehicle can change at any time so take feedback cues from your vehicle as you turn, brake, accelerate, that will tell you if the road surface is changing, and drive according to the “feel” of the roadway. If it’s slippery, slow down.

2)Ensure that you do not become distracted by cell phones, ipods, or anything that would rob you of precious time to react. Give yourself time to react and room between you and the vehicle in front.

3)Prepare your vehicle. Good winter or all season M+S tires, with a minimum of 3.5 mm of tread , are a must. Use winter rated windshield washer fluid so you don’t get surprised by a “frosted” windshield when you use your wipers for the first time in cold weather, and change your wipers if they are getting old. Have a brush/scraper in your car and scrape ALL your windows, and brush ALL the snow off your vehicle. No one likes to follow a snow storm on wheels, and scraping half your windshield and none of your windows just doesn’t cut it for visibility when you’re driving.

4) Be extra cautions when approaching intersections. Statistics show that most injurious collisions happen at intersections. Start slowing down well before the intersection as intersection approaches can become icy due to repeated frictional stopping.

5)Wear your seatbelt. A large number of traffic fatalities are due to persons not wearing their seatbelts.

6)Don’t plan to be in a hurry. Plan to take more time. Urgency, due to perceived time constraints , can cause motorists to take risks in order to make up lost time. A collision will take away any time you might have gained and then some.

No one wants their winter season to be marred by tragedy so please be extra vigilant while driving this winter.