Ice Safety Guide (updated)

It’s not unusual for Canadians to go out to a frozen lake in the winter, right? Get some peace and quiet, enjoy the fresh air, rest from your phone… But are you sure you know what to expect and what to do if something unexpected happens? Read on!

When going out on a lake for ice fishing, skating, or even snowmobiling, you should prepare yourself as much as possible to avoid going through the ice and having to deal with thin ice. Here are some dos and don’t’s:

• The first tip to walking on ice safely is to never go out on the ice alone. Go out with another person and keep a good distance apart as you move about. If one of you falls through, the other can attempt to get help. That person can also attempt a rescue.
• Carry some survival equipment, such as a length of rope. Carry a pair of ice picks or screwdrivers tied together with a few feet of strong cord. You can use these to pull yourself up and onto the ice. They will float if they have wooden handles, which is handy if you drop them in the struggle to get out of the water.
• Avoid driving on anthe ice lake if at all possible. If you must drive onto the ice, unbuckle your seatbelt and roll down the window. That way, if you go through the ice, getting out of the vehicle will be easier.
• If snowmobiling at night, don’t outdrive your headlight. Give yourself time to spot and avoid any areas of open water, pressure ridges, and patches of weak ice.
  Avoid alcohol. Alcohol increases your chances for hypothermia, impairs your judgment, and slows your reaction time.
• Don’t travel when it is snowing or at night. The reduced visibility increases your chances of driving onto an open or weak patch of ice. This is a common cause of drownings involving drivers of ATVs and snowmobiles.
• Make use of designated ice surfaces. Many communities will have designated ponds and outdoor ice surfaces for activities like ice skating. These areas are appropriately maintained by trained and knowledgeable personnel who regularly test the ice to ensure it is both strong enough and thick enough to be used recreationally.
• When trying to determine the ice thickness to drive on or walk on, make sure to measure the ice thickness in more than one place. Local conditions like the depth of the water and the currents can affect the thickness of the ice.
• In terms of ice safety, clear or blue ice is the gold standard. White ice forms on top of clear ice and has air or snow, so it should be thought of as half as thick. Keep this in mind if you are trying to figure out if it is load-bearing. However, a good rule of thumb is that white ice should be avoided for recreational use.
• Avoid river ice and the narrows between lakes. This is because the river currents, and the moving water at the narrows, can change the ice thickness or cause the ice to be thinner than in other areas of the river or lake.
• Children playing on or near the ice should always be supervised by an adult.
• When driving on an ice lake, staying calm and driving slowly is important. Many assume that driving faster will be safer (most likely because they think they will be escaping any failing ice faster). However, driving faster can create a pressure wave in the ice that may lead it to fracture. Alberta’s Workplace Health and Safety Guidelines recommend keeping your speed below 30km per hour on open ice with water depths below 15 meters and 15km per hour when you approach the shore or travel parallel and close to the shore.
• They say prevention is better than cure, so if you are driving on the ice, always be prepared for the worst. Make sure you keep the above tips in mind and take precautionary measures. Operators of ATVs or snowmobiles can wear inflatable PFD under their winter clothing. However, drivers of cars or trucks should not. If the vehicle falls through the ice and the PFD inflates, you may not be able to get out of your vehicle.

How much ice is safe to drive on or step on?

The safety of the ice is related to its thickness. So, how thick does ice need to be to drive on? The following provides a general ice thickness guide based on solid blue lake ice. If the ice is:

• 2 inches (5 cm) thick or less, stay off the ice
• 3 inches (7.5 cm) thick, it can safely hold a single person and gear in one area
• 4 inches (10 cm) thick, it can hold a group of people in a single file line
• 7.5 inches (19 cm) thick, it can hold a light car
• 10 inches (25.4 cm) thick, it can hold a medium truck.

Watch out when you go out and if something does happen, come to our repair shop in Hamilton – we will take care of your car!

We are located only 7 min driving West of The Centre on Barton Shopping Mall and 11 min South East of Hamilton General Hospital.