"Towels on the road?" Vancouver proves once again it can't handle snow during chaotic commute
We knew the snow was coming, but once again, Metro Vancouver roads proved to be drivers’ worst enemies during Thursday evening’s commute due to the icy and slippery conditions.
Videos shared on social media of the Thursday night commute around the region, show cars slipping, sliding, and even crashing into other vehicles. It was a chaotic scene as traffic was snarled across Metro Vancouver.
On Highway 1, drivers were stuck for hours due to a 25 (or more) vehicle pileup.
Buses were going nowhere fast as the Metro Vancouver’s transit vehicles came to a halt due to slippery roads.
One video on TikTok captured drivers laying down what appeared to be towels on the road to help a car gain traction to make it out of a snowy street pileup.
wait are these dudes laying down towels on the road….? pic.twitter.com/iPMVmZ0GNk
— The Network Hub (@thenetworkhub) January 12, 2024
One X user reported a 16-car pileup on Nelson Street, stating it had closed down traffic between Marine Drive and Rumble Street in Burnaby. There appeared to be blood spilled on the snow, but Burnaby RCMP told Daily Hive frontline officers didn’t receive reports of any serious injuries.
Disclaimer: This video shows images of what may be blood. Viewer discretion is advised.Â
A 16 car pile up on Nelson Street has it closed between Marine Drive and Rumble Street in Burnaby. Be careful out there! 🥶 #bcstorm #bcsnow #burnaby cc @AM730Traffic @CityNewsTraffic @DailHiveVan @GlobalBC @CTVVancouver @CBCVancouver @BurnabyRCMP @CityofBurnaby @50ShadesofVan pic.twitter.com/nR0q4j3Spg
— Philipp Postrehovsky (@philpostro) January 12, 2024
Another video of the incident showed at least one person seemingly having enough of the standstill traffic and deciding to walk.
Marine Way South Burnaby.
Roads were so slow that this guy passed me walking. #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/1UR8LQp61B— Rod Forbes (@Rod_Forbes) January 12, 2024
And the pileups just kept coming, with folks sharing one disaster after another on social media.
#bcstorm #chaos #Vancouver
I wonder how BC politicians are going to handle this one. Don’t worry you won’t have to wait long. They will be all over TV tomorrow @GlobalBC @CTVVancouver @CityNewsVAN @CBCNews @bcndp pic.twitter.com/N26JP7oNm3— Agrewal101 (@agrewal101) January 12, 2024
One woman appeared to jump out of her car as it rolled backwards down a hill.
@travisdavie Vancouver snow be like … 🥶 #fypă‚· ♬ P.I.M.P. x Music Sounds Better With You – carneyval
Hills just seemed to be every driver’s worst enemy.
Be careful out there #Bcstorm pic.twitter.com/nKtRCtJBpu
— Shanel Pratap (@shanelpratap) January 12, 2024
Especially in Coquitlam, where drivers seemed to just give up on any inclining stretch of road.
@deannawoo When your husband is forced to abandon the car and walk home LOL. Clips from his walk đź« #Vancouver#vancouversnow#vancouversnowstorm ♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger
It also looked like many Vancouverites may have thought they could have gotten away without proper winter tires, which resulted in a lot of mishaps.
@vancityhotspots I dont get why people drive their cars here in the winter wirh summer tires on #vancouver #vancouverbc #metrovancouver #burquitlam #burnaby #coquitlam #vancouversnow #vancouversnowstorm #vancouversnowday ♬ Funny Laugh no no no – Sound Effect
The frigid temperatures aren’t going anywhere yet as an Arctic outflow warning remains for the Metro Vancouver region until Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures, at some points, will feel like -20°C, notes Environment and Climate Change Canada.
If you struggled during Thursday’s commute, it’s best to try and stay put during the rest of this winter blast, as icy roads and slippery conditions are likely.
What are your thoughts on Vancouver’s snow preparation and how drivers handle the roads during winter conditions? Let us know in the comments.
Follow Channels and Categories