• REMEMBER THE BASICS!  In all conditions, the ability to see, steer and brake properly while driving is paramount to arriving at your destination safely.  Obviously, when the weather is inclement, all three of these abilities are compromised.
• SLOW DOWN!  Again, this should be obvious but it is also very important.  People are so used to driving certain speeds on certain roads that they often forget the need to slow down when inclement weather presents itself.
• DRIVE SMOOTHLY!  Driving in wet or slippery conditions demands gentle use of a vehicle’s controls – steering, clutch, brake and accelerator; and a larger allowance for errors and emergencies.
• CHECK YOUR TIRES!  In rain, bald tires significantly reduce your traction and offer little resistance to hydroplaning.  On ice and snow, even new all-season tires perform well below the level of proper winter tires, so if you live at a high elevation or in any area where snow is expected, it is advisable to equip your vehicle with four (!!!) YOKOHAMA winter tires.
• TURN ON YOUR LIGHTS!  In inclement weather, it is essential that your vehicle can be seen by others.  Even if your vehicle is equipped with daytime running lights, when the weather turns bad and visibility is impaired, turn on your lights so that you can be seen from the rear as well as from the front.
• CLEAR ALL YOUR WINDOWS… BEFORE YOU DRIVE!  It is important that both the outside AND inside windows of your vehicle are clean and clear before departing on your journey, however short and simple it may seem.  Being able to see a potential problem or incident is the only way you can prevent it from occurring!
• BE CONFIDENT AND STEER TOWARDS SAFETY!  There are many causes of traffic incidents in poor weather although ‘driving too fast for conditions’ is often cited since many crashes are initiated by a skid.  In these types of emergencies, it is important to ‘calm down’ and ‘look where you want to go’.  In many situations, simply easing off the gas and carefully steering in the direction you want the front of the car to go will allow you to avoid a potential crash or collision.  Moreover, if your vehicle is equipped with ABS (Anti-lock Brakes) you can apply the brakes firmly to slow and stop the vehicle while still maintaining steering control.
• NEVER BLAME THE WEATHER!  If you choose to or are forced to drive in adverse weather conditions, recognize that you are responsible for your safety as well as that of your passengers and other road users.  Always drive within your limits and the limits that are presented to you by weather conditions.

At CODE ZERO, we are firm believers that driver skill is the most important element in ‘accident’ prevention. Our motto claiming that we are “Leading the Quest for ZERO Crashes and Collisions” comes as a result of successfully teaching hundreds of drivers important skills and techniques that help them properly control a vehicle under any circumstances. However, unexpected emergencies still occur and as human beings, we are occasionally prone to being distracted or making mistakes… Indeed, even the most skilful of drivers sometimes needs a little extra help. Fortunately, formidable players such as the Canadian Government and Auto Manufacturers have come to offer that help.

On September 1, 2011, a new law was brought into effect that requires all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada to be equipped with a safety feature known as Electronic Stability Control (ESC). When ESC detects loss of steering control, it applies a slight amount of braking to the correct wheel or wheels and in some systems also reduces engine power. This results in a decided lessening of the skid which in turn, minimizes the loss of control. For the most part, ESC allows a driver to regain full control of the vehicle, thus preventing an imminent crash! Up until now, ESC has been available on some new cars and its proven ability to help prevent a dangerous skid resulted in the new legislation.

Undoubtedly, ESC is a great safety feature. We at CODE ZERO recently did some testing alongside ICBC, driving with ESC turned on, then off. During the testing, we learned that ESC is certainly effective at helping turn that ‘Oh no!” moment into something much less dramatic, especially when dealing with an unexpected emergency situation.

However, it became abundantly clear that an increase in speed, even from 60 to 70km/h on our emergency manoeuvre course, hampered the effectiveness of ESC. Furthermore, the effects of this increase in speed were experienced by both professional CODE ZERO instructors and ‘average’ commuter-seasoned drivers.
Our overall experience testing vehicles with and without ESC led us to the following conclusions:

1. ESC was not designed to improve a vehicles cornering performance. It was designed to, and definitely does help a driver maintain control during unexpected, difficult or challenging circumstances, especially on slippery roads.

2. Total loss of adhesion is just that and neither driver skill nor ESC is a match for basic physics!

3. Too fast is still too fast!
Submitted by Andrew Field, President, CODE ZERO Licensing International Inc.

“I can’t believe we’re almost there!” said Andrew Field, President of CODE ZERO Licensing International Inc. “With the existing driving area being so busy, our programs in the Metro Vancouver area almost came to a halt over the past few months as we patiently waited for the JIBC to complete their new facility. Unfortunately, that situation also forced most of our clients to wait along with us for more classes and programs to be made available!”

With cooperation from the weatherman, CODE ZERO and the JIBC will launch their new schedule in late October, 2011. Please check www.codezerodriving.com for more information on CODE ZERO programs or www.jibc.ca/ptec/codezero for course dates and to register in Metro Vancouver.

A ‘team of detectives’ tests their driving skill while searching for clues...

After undergoing several carefully-designed, police recruit-inspired driving exercises that teach potentially, life-saving skills to them, the group of 16 split up into teams of four in order to solve a mock crime that involved an armed robbery and a getaway vehicle. Referred to as the “CODE ZERO Gold Shield Challenge”, this exciting event tests safe-driving techniques, observation skills plus overall teamwork and cohesiveness all under the added pressure of time limits, emergency sirens and two-way radios. These additional factors provided participants with the opportunity to work and drive under stressful conditions, something that they discovered can be done quite well if they focused on the skills and techniques that they were practising earlier.

Although they were, in many ways ‘pushed to the limit’, all the participants displayed a surprising level of competence accompanied by a suitable amount of enthusiasm and team spirit throughout the entire day of activities. “I never thought I could share so much fun with others while learning to be a much better driver myself!” said one enthusiastic participant.

Royal City Show and Shine

Organizers expected about 100,000 attendees for this year’s display of over 300 modified/customized vehicles and judging from size of the crowds during the 8-hour show, they probably met their expectations. The bright, sunny weather, combined with loads of activities, definitely helped draw the large audience this year, many of them posing for pictures beside their favourite vehicles.

As usual, when it comes to a ‘car event’, CODE ZERO was right in the thick of things, showing off a couple of CODE ZERO vehicles and promoting its courses to those attending. The interest was high at the display with a large number picking up brochures and flyers and asking our ‘CODE ZERO Guys” a multitude of questions about the programs and courses being offered. Andrew Field, President and Manager of CODE ZERO and Tony Riddle, Lead Instructor proudly represented CODE ZERO during the event and while a little tired and sunburned at the end, they both left satisfied that it had been another worthwhile experience.

“Like us, many people are excited about our new facility now being constructed in Pitt Meadows,” related Andrew, “with over 500,000 square feet of paved surface soon available to us, we will have one of the largest driving facilities in Canada with unprecedented opportunities for our clients… both individual and corporate. While most of our programs can be conducted in small areas and on a variety of surfaces, in Metro Vancouver, we will soon have the ability to do multi-events at one location.”

Well, I could select an all-season tire for all of my driving but like any true enthusiast would say, that’s a compromise and I don’t like COMPROMISING! Or, I could use a set of summer tires for day-to-day use, a set of high-performance tires for my weekend exploits at the track plus a set of winter tires for my snowy, slushy adventures. That would be the best of all worlds! Or would it?

3 sets of rims, 3 sets of tires, putting them on, taking them off… That’s EXPENSIVE and time-consuming!

No, I found a better solution for myself! Thanks to my friends at YOKOHAMA I found … ONE TIRE FOR EVERYTHING!!! Sounds too good to be true? I thought so.
Well, I was wrong. My daily driver is a 2007 Ford Focus station wagon econo-box. Yes, it’s not the Porsche that I want but it works for me and like most people, sometimes one NEEDS to compromise a little!!! However, like any true driving enthusiast, I’ve personalized it a bit in order to make it better for me… 17” rims, lowered springs, performance chip etc., plus of course, the very necessary CODE ZERO identification. (see the pic of my little baby attached) The greatest improvement though was with the tire choice. Yes, with my ‘TIRE FOR EVERYTHING’… my winter-rated performance radials… 215/45-17 YOKOHAMA W.DRIVE tires. As Yokohama boasts and I discovered… a tire that provides “high-performance moxie all-year round!”

Indeed, I am super pleased with my surprising discovery. I have been using the W.DRIVE tires since last October and to my delight, they do seem to do everything well… really well!. I’ve commuted back and forth to Vancouver (endlessly it seems!), I’ve driven through snow in the Okanagan, I’ve driven (spiritedly) around our CODE ZERO track and these tires performed fabulously in all cases. The best thing about these tires is that I don’t feel like I’ve compromised!

Not surprisingly, at this time of year, the thoughts of driving enthusiasts throughout Canada become pleasurable ones rather than painful ones.  As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, they undoubtedly think about the joys of driving on clear, dry roads instead of the stresses of driving on wet or icy roads.

At CODE ZERO, we are no exception.  While our winter programs definitely assist drivers in dealing with the challenges of inclement weather, in the spring, we look forward to the opportunity of helping drivers get the most out of their fair weather driving.  To us, spring is the season for all of us to sharpen our driving skills in order to fully and safely enjoy the good driving conditions that lay just ahead.  Indeed, it is the time of the year to become the best drivers that we can be.  To mark the occasion, in Metro Vancouver, CODE ZERO is announcing several programs at the new JIBC Driving Centre in Pitt Meadows.

Code zero Level 1 & 2 Spring Courses:  PITT MEADOWS, B.C.

Experience CODE ZERO DRIVING… “Driving at its BEST!”

ZERO Stress, ZERO Risk, ZERO Crashes!

Click Here to Register for- Level 1 Level 2

“What a day for CODE ZERO in Vancouver!” exclaimed Andrew Field, president of CODE ZERO Licensing International Inc. at the announcement. “Not one, but two great driving sites for our Metro Vancouver customers! We have been anxiously anticipating this day for some time now,” he added, “We haven’t had any CODE ZERO programs since December and we have a lot of drivers waiting for us to start up again.”

The first new site is located at Pitt Meadows Airport in Pitt Meadows with the CODE ZERO Grand Opening Event planned for April 2. “With the new Golden Ears and Pitt River bridges in full operation, Pitt Meadows is an awesome location,” says Field, “Geographically, it is exactly midway between Vancouver and Abbotsford which makes it truly accessible for many Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley residents.”

For those who prefer a more Southwestern location, CODE ZERO will be presenting their programs in Richmond at the large SilverCity Overflow lot at the corner of No. 6 Road and Steveston Highway. “Again, this location, near the Deas tunnel connecting Richmond and Delta, is convenient to so many other residents in Metro Vancouver,” Field related. “With two great locations we will be able to offer so many more public and corporate CODE ZERO programs in the future. We are truly excited!”