When you have to go on the road
“In winter conditions and especially when the snow remains, we see that traffic is slower anyway, resulting in traffic jams,” says Peter Bruyninckx of the Flemish Traffic Center. “Adjust your driving style and be extra careful on bridges and viaducts and on entrance and exit ramps. Also be courteous to truck drivers, as they will have an extra difficult time negotiating inclines.”
Roadside helpers will know what to do when we wake up on Wednesday under a carpet of snow. “Make sure you are prepared for this winter shot. Make sure your lights work properly, your windshield wipers are not worn out, and you have plenty of antifreeze washer fluid. Also clear your shoes of snow and make sure they are dry, otherwise your feet could slide off the pedals. And adapt your driving style, even if you drive with winter tires,” says Mich Vergauwen of VAB.
If your car starts to skid, press your clutch. This way your car can regain traction. Then gently release the clutch so that you regain control. The natural human reflex is to look for any obstacles you might hit. Don’t do that though. Always look at the place or opening you want to drive to.
Anyone who normally travels by bicycle should leave it that way for once. An accident happened quickly.
At the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AVW) they are closely monitoring the situation and preventive spreading will be carried out. Also on cycle paths.
Erik Scelp also warns for slippery roads this evening, tonight and tomorrow morning.
Except in the coastal strip, temperatures again drop below freezing. In addition, the RMI predicts winter precipitation. Especially in the northeast of Flanders. This precipitation in combination with the negative road surface temperatures means that, despite the preventive spreading work, there is still a chance that local slippery conditions will occur.
AWV advises road users to be careful when entering roads or cycle paths. Moderate your speed and keep sufficient distance from other road users and gritters.
AWV also calls again to check the website of the Flemish Traffic Center for the latest conditions of roads and cycle paths. Local (winter) showers can be reported via the KMI app. This information helps the AWV winter service to assess the risks of slippery conditions even more precisely.
AWV has 312 road gritters and 202 cycle path spreaders ready to be deployed if necessary. This winter, 9,500 tons of melting agent were already used to clear snow and ice from roads and cycle paths.
Anyone who goes on foot should also pay attention. A slider is quickly made. Emergency services expect extra crowds on Wednesday if it starts snowing.
The gritting services will work extra shifts in the coming days. — © ssj
If you have to go to work
In order to limit traffic disruption due to slippery roads as much as possible, the Federal Public Service Employment has previously decided that as soon as the RMI gives the orange warning code, the work-from-home alarm is in effect. This should allow employers and employees to work from home on a large(r) scale and thus reduce traffic flow. This is not yet the case, but it is almost certain that there will be a scaling up to code yellow and possibly even to orange.
Working in construction is no fun in this weather. The construction sector is still watching the cat from the tree. “But when it snows so hard, it is almost impossible to work outside. Then weather delays can be requested the evening before or even the morning itself and no work will be done,” says Sven Nouten of sector organization Embuild.
Train, tram, bus
At De Lijn they say they are taking the necessary measures. But depending on road conditions, delays are not excluded.
“There is always gritting on the routes that the buses travel. This is also the case at the stops. But if it really becomes too bad and too dangerous, we may have to cancel certain journeys,” says Ine Pieters of De Lijn.
“As far as tram traffic is concerned, switches are heated so that they do not freeze. At night we also use ‘snow trams’, which are older devices that have been taken out of circulation and which only run to prevent the overhead lines from freezing.”
The NMBS also does not rule out that the snow could cause problems. — © MARC HERREMANS – MEDIAHUIS
The NMBS also does not rule out that the snow could cause problems. That is why they take the necessary precautions. To guarantee the first train departure, the locomotives remain energized overnight. Pusher locomotives can also be used to help some trains climb difficult slopes. Here too, switches are heated so that they do not freeze.
And air traffic may also be affected. Ground handlers clear the aircraft of ice before departure, while all runways are also cleared of snow and ice. Minor delays are possible due to the de-icing procedure.
The aircraft are cleared of ice before departure, as are the runways. — © BELGA
Outdoor sports
The youth football teams are in full training on Wednesday afternoon. Football Flanders decides whether matches should be cancelled. But each club decides for itself what to do in case of snow. Either training sessions are canceled or people move to sports halls.
Skiing in your own country remains special. — © VUM
Cross-country skiing or downhill skiing
Who says snow, also says snow fun. There is already snow on the Ardennes peaks, although most ski and cross-country ski trails are not yet open. But operators are preparing themselves in case it actually snows so much on Tuesday or Wednesday and it remains so cold. There is a good chance that winter sports enthusiasts will be able to indulge themselves at the Ardennes heights. You can find slopes or places where you can make reservations here.