Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (Apr 29/02) - Northern highways have their own unique challenges for motorists like wildlife, extreme distances, and the possibility of breaking down in the middle of nowhere.

Bruce Gordier of Fort Smith demonstrates the process he uses to repair a vehicle's windshield. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Then, of course, there's flying rocks on the unpaved portions of highways, which still means much of the NWT.

Depending on road conditions, passing a vehicle heading the other way can be akin to zooming through a meteor storm. In the dust are small and sometimes not so small rocks hurtling toward your vehicle.

And taking the brunt of the assaults are windshields.

Some windshields come to resemble a spider's web as rock impacts spread in myriad directions.

Bruce Gordier of Black Bear Services in Fort Smith repairs an average of two to three windshields a week.

The damage is not only a safety issue, but depreciates a vehicle's value, he says.

Gordier says the damage is often costly. It can take hundreds of dollars to get a windshield re- placed,

or between $50 and $100 to get it repaired.

Can such damage be prevented? Gordier suggests a bug deflector bolted onto a hood can help.

Gurdev Jagpal, the regional superintendent of transportation for the Inuvik region, suggests drivers take a common sense and considerate approach.

"Slow down and move to the shoulder of the highway," he advises for passing oncoming traffic, especially trucks.

He also cautions against following too closely behind

other vehicles.

Jagpal points out the Department of Transportation applies calcium chloride to unpaved roads for dust control. It binds the gravel together, which reduces the number of airborne rocks.

Sgt. Phil Johnson of the RCMP in Yellowknife, says that, under the law, no one is allowed to operate a vehicle if a damaged windshield interferes with the driver's vision.

"I think common sense has to prevail," he says, noting cracked windshields are common in the North.

Asked what the RCMP would suggest to prevent cracked windshields, Johnson again advises common sense -- keeping to the right and not following too closely behind other vehicles.

However when it comes to preventing damaged windshields, he says, "It's a pretty hard thing to avoid."

Johnson notes it is hard to drive from Rae to Yellowknife, for example, without a windshield being hit at least once, even though it may not always be damaged.