Ice thickness for different vehicles: Water Security Agency [Video]

The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) says ice should be at least one foot (30 centimetres) thick before it’s safe to drive a car or light truck on a frozen body of water.

Ice should also be at least four inches (10 cm) thick before walking on it, eight inches (20 cm) to drive a snowmobile or an ATV over it and more than a foot thick to safely support a heavy truck.

The WSA said it’s also important to note that ice does not freeze at a “uniform thickness” and its strength can vary considerably from one are to another.

“The date that ice becomes safe at a particular site varies from year to year, requiring the verification of the thickness each year as opposed to relying on past experiences,” WSA said in a news release.

People should also avoid going on ice that looks slushy, has thawed and …