Guelph police urging drivers to correct some winter no-no’s

Now that Old Man Winter has made his grand return to the Royal City, Guelph police are also seeing some unpleasant trends reacquaint themselves as well.

Police are out with some reminders to residents to help adjust some of those wintertime bad habits.

READ MORE: 68 crashes reported in Guelph, Wellington County after season’s first snowfall

One of those is drivers walking away from their car while it’s running so it stays warm.

“I get it. It’s cold outside and we want to warm up the car before we get in there, but it’s just not something we can do anymore,” Const. Kyle Grant said.

“If you’re not at your vehicle, it’s got to be locked.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "If you're not at your vehicle, it's got to be locked."

He said within the last couple of months, there have been two vehicles thefts for this very reason — one from a coffee shop and one from a gas station.

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Grand said in both cases the drivers were quickly running inside to buy something.

READ MORE: Suspect in downtown Guelph stabbing arrested twice, police say

Another bad habit, especially around Christmas time, is valuables and gifts being left in plain sight in the car while the driver is shopping.

Once again, police are urging shoppers to lock their vehicle doors. They also recommend not leaving anything in view to prevent someone from breaking in.

“The more valuables they see, the more likely they are to break into your vehicle,” Grant said.

4:22 Getting drivers ready for winter conditions

The last tip comes from Const. Mike Powell from Guelph police’s traffic unit. He said drivers should be clearing all the snow and scraping all the ice off their car before driving.

“You have to make sure before you drive that you have full visibility to the front, to the rear and to the side,” he said. “And be aware of the snow that is on the roof of your car.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "You have to make sure before you drive that you have full visibility to the front, to the rear and to the side," he said. "And be aware of the snow that is on the roof of your car."

Every year police are called to crashes where snow and ice slid from the roof onto the windshield, blinding the driver, Powell said.

READ MORE: Montreal police pranked by a car snow sculpture

He added that drivers could receive a fine if they are driving erratically because they can see clearly.

“It takes a few extra seconds to clear your car off,” Powell said.