The self-registration option is disabled, but you can still register for an account. To find out how, read the "General Info" announcement which you can find at the top of every sub-forum.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. This part of the forums is specifically intended to collect health, safety, training, and related information. Unsafe Is Unacceptable.
The BC Forest Safety Council has recently released an updated Resource Road User Safety Guide. I've attached a copy to this post.
More info pertaining to this guide:
Please note these guides provide basic information for travelers. They do not contain maps or area specific information such as radio frequencies or road closures. They should not be considered a replacement for proper trip planning.
BC Forest Safety has a limited number of printed copies available for use throughout the province, copies will be sent out on a first come first serve basis please contact us to request. Please freely print, email, post online, etc. the attached documents.
We encourage you to send us your comments and improvement suggestions. We update the resource package annually with suggestions and feedback.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Transportation Safety @ the BC Forest Safety Council
Here's a link to a different short thread on this board which talks about VHF radio frequencies in use: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=66321&p=89326
Not too impressed with that. Most of it is general driving safety and it's not laid out in a way that makes anyone read the unique/important stuff in an obvious way. I think they need something that conveys the unique nature of driving on resource roads and to especially emphasize the importance of radios. Such as:
1. Know whether your road is radio controlled or not!!! Do not fuck this one up! If it is radio controlled, don't drive on it without a proper radio. You can RENT radios that plug into your dash for $5/day or $60/month. Driving on certain radio controlled roads is no bullshit dangerous. Ask someone to show you how to use a radio if you don't know, we all had to learn sometime, there's no shame in not knowing. If you're driving and don't hear anyone on the radio for a while check your volume/antenna connection and ask for a radio check.
2. Actually pay attention to your radio, especially if it's a busy/dangerous road. I normally listen to music or audiobooks when I drive but on certain roads I drive with stereo silence because hearing what's happening is that important.
3. Understand that resource roads are NOT normal roads.
- There may be narrow 1 vehicle areas such as bridges. Hence the importance of #1, if you go into these situations without calling on the radio like you're supposed to you're asking for a head on collision with something that could kill you. A log truck could come barreling around a corner onto the one lane bridge you're on at 60km/h because he hasn't heard you calling kilometers and when he asked "Anyone at the 2km bridge?" nobody responded.
- The road may not be well maintained, meaning you're at risk of skidding through corners or the edge of the road giving out and sucking you into the ditch. Unless you know the road, don't assume because it was good at first that it will stay good and you're okay to drive 90km/h.
- There are going to be big semi tankers and log rucks in narrow spots, be prepared for that every blind hill/corner you drive around.
- Dust in dry conditions is going to be a factor. Treat it like fog. Lots of people rear end other vehicles on these roads because they couldn't see the vehicle braking ahead of them through the dust.
- Increased/more dangerous chances of wildlife encounters. They don't spend the money to cut the bush back along the sides of roads like they do on highways, meaning there's less time to see something popping out of the woods and across the road.
- Washboard makes you lose control of your vehicle, if you see washboard slow down!
4. Keep your headlights and brakelights on/clean at all times. It's actually important.
5. Assume all log truck drivers are bat-shit crazy and give them as much space as possible at all times.
"All road users are reminded that forest service roads and the majority of resource roads are not radio controlled but that they are radio assisted and should drive safely according to the road conditions and weather."
"All road users are reminded that forest service roads and the majority of resource roads are not radio controlled but that they are radio assisted and should drive safely according to the road conditions and weather."
Yeah really good point, this should be one of the main ones. I drive mostly radio controlled myself where you have to check in at a guard shack that verifies you have a radio and the road channel programmed (oil and gas), but it's incredibly good point.
It's great to have a radio for radio assisted roads. With the new Resource Road Channels that are being implemented across the province, all you need to have is 35 different channels to be covered for every area province wide - only 35 plus the 5 Loading channels if you really want to hear everything going on with active logging operations. This new system is still being phased in across B.C. and is not in place yet in the Kootenays and perhaps eslewhere. Of course that's not to mention all of the roads that have private frequencies being used by log haulers and others.
You can go ahead and rent yourself a radio relatively cheaply but you'll have to get it programmed with the full MOF lineup plus whatever other channels are in your operating areas. Unfortunately the government doesn't want you to be able to do this yourself. They assume that if you could program radios yourself, you might input channels that would create all kinds of conflicts and interference with busy channels being used by others.
You may be able to rent or buy hand held radios with keypads on the front but again it is illegal for you to use that keypad to key in radio frequencies. As far as I'm aware there will be signs at the start of each Resource Road telling you which RR channel is being used. I'm not sure whether they'll post the actual frequencies or not - likely not?
If you do go ahead and figure out how to face program your hand held radio, if you want optimal performance you'll need to know both the Rx & Tx frequency, any tones associated with those frequencies and whether the frequencies are wide or narrow banded.
Oh and by the way don't forget to pay Industry Canada their $41 per year for every radio you use.
