Ontario Motorists Issued Winter Ready Reminder

TORONTO, Jan. 13, 2016 /CNW/ - A new #WinterReady campaign is reminding motorists to avoid procrastination when it comes to preparing for winter driving.

#WinterReady (www.winterready.ca) is being launched by the Ontario Road Builders' Association (ORBA), the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), and Canadian Tire.

"We are pleased to launch the Winter Ready campaign to help Ontario drivers ensure they have an annual routine in place each winter," said Geoff Wilkinson, Executive Director of ORBA. "Too often drivers wait for the first snow fall before they begin to take the steps needed to prepare for winter. That's why we are working with other industry leaders to help Ontarians get winter ready."

The campaign launch included the results of a new Ipsos poll that shows half (49 per cent) of Ontarians admit the later winter delayed installation of winter tires this year. Further, only a third say they normally put on their snow tires long before the first snow fall, while a majority (57 per cent) say they do it only when the weather gets cold and or if the first snow fall or snow storm is expected.

"We are pleased to support the Winter Ready partners to collectively raise awareness about safe and smart winter driving in Ontario," said Minister Del Duca. "Winter tire discounts to Ontarians took effect on January 1st and I encourage drivers across the province to take advantage of this new initiative and to drive safe this winter."

"Winter driving poses unique challenges. Take the time to prepare for sudden and unexpected changes to the weather and the roads. Always carry a charged cell phone for use when you are safely stopped. Being cautious and prepared behind the wheel could save your life," said Kim Donaldson, Vice-President, Ontario, Insurance Bureau of Canada.

"IHSA is a proud supporter of the Winter Ready campaign. Motor vehicle incidents continue to be a leading cause of work place fatalities in Ontario. We all share the road including those of us commuting to work and those of us who drive commercial vehicles every day. It is critical that we are prepared to drive safely, including a well maintained and winter-ready vehicle, especially during these months when road conditions can change from hour to hour and kilometer to kilometer. We owe it to each other as fellow Ontarians to make our commutes safe and arrive home to our families every day," said Enzo Garritano, Acting President and CEO of IHSA.

Canadian Tire is also supporting the campaign by giving away a number of winter tire sets to Ontarians who participate and engage with the campaign on social media at @WinterReady2016. The campaign will be holding regional events at Canadian Tires across the province to bring awareness to safe winter driving.

About the Ipsos Poll

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between December 30, 2015, and January 3, 2016, on behalf of Winter Ready Safe Winter Driving campaign. For this survey, a sample of 800 Ontarian drivers who use snow tires from Ipsos' online panel was interviewed online. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/ - 4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Ontario drivers with snow tires been polled.

The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

About The Campaign

The Ontario Road Builders' Association (ORBA), Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Canadian Tire and the Ministry of Transportation are committed to safe winter driving and have launched the Winter Ready campaign to highlight the need for safe driving on Ontario roads this winter.

The campaign features several components: public education through events around the province, a website at www.winterready.ca with great driving resources, plus social properties on Twitter and Facebook, all so Ontarians can have the best advice to keep them safe this winter.

SOURCE Winter Ready Safe Winter Driving Campaign

For further information: Navigator, Jessica Georgakopoulos, 416-307-3041, [e-mail]; Ontario Road Builders' Association, Geoff Wilkinson, Executive Director, 905-507-1107 ext 224, [e-mail]; Insurance Bureau of Canada, Steve Kee, Director, Media & Digital Communications, T: 416.362.2031 x4387, [e-mail]; Infrastructure Health and Safety Association, Ariel White, [e-mail]