Winter Driving Safety Tips

Winter is a dangerous time – ice, snow, and sleet make for hazardous driving conditions that often lead to car accidents. Motorists should exercise extra caution when they take to the roads. We have collected a number of winter driving safety tips that you can follow to prepare your car for emergency situations and to protect yourself and your loved ones if you have to travel through hazardous road conditions.

Winterize Your Car

Before you take to the roads, make sure that your vehicle is as safe as possible by winterizing your car. Conduct a checkup of your car and inspect the following:

Your vehicle should also be equipped with the following in the event of an emergency situation:

It's important to have a "survival kit" in your car that you replenish after use. Essential supplies include:

• Compass, blanket, water, and first aid kit
• Working flashlight and extra batteries
• Reflective triangles and brightly-colored cloth
• Ice scraper and snow brush
• Wooden stick matches in a waterproof container
• Exterior windshield cleaner
• Scissors and string or cord
• Non-perishable, high-energy food like unsalted canned nuts, dried fruits, and hard candy

Driving on Snowy or Icy Roads

Below are general safe driving tips for winter weather to help you avoid the troubling questions that often accompany serious car accidents:

• Drive in response to the conditions on the road. Many people assume that four-wheel drive and front-wheel drive compensate for dangerous road conditions. Do not make the mistake of assuming your vehicle can handle all conditions.
• Keep your lights and your windshield clean and clear of snow.
• Turn on your headlights to increase your visibility for other drivers.
• When on the road, reduce your speed and leave plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times the normal amount of space between you and the car in front of you.
• Do not use overdrive or cruise control on icy roads.
• Break gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
• Use low gears to maintain traction, especially on all of the hills in our region.
• Bridges, overpasses, and infrequently traveled roads freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, wet conditions may result in ice on these roadways.
• Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers of these vehicles have limited visibility, and the road ahead of them is probably worse than the road behind them.

What to do if your rear tires skid:

• Take your foot off of the accelerator.
• Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear tires are skidding to the left, steer left. If they are skidding to the right, steer right.
• If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
• If you have anti-lock brakes, do not pump them. Apply steady pressure and you will feel the brakes pulse – this is normal.

What to do if your front tires skid:

• Take your food off the gas and shift to neutral; don't try to steer immediately.
• As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. At this point you can put the vehicle into "drive" and gently accelerate.

What to do if you get stuck:

• Do not spin your wheels, it will only dig you in deeper.
• Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
• Use a light touch on the gas to ease your car out.
• With a shovel, clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
• Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
• Try rocking the vehicle (make sure to check your owner's manual first because this can damage the transmission on some vehicles). Shift from drive to reverse and back again. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.

What to do if you become stranded:

• Do not leave your car unless you know where you are, the distance to possible help, and are sure you will improve your situation.
• To attract attention, light two flares and place one at each end of the car a safe distance away. Hang a bright cloth from your antenna.
• If you are sure the car's exhaust pipe is not blocked, run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes every hour, depending on how much gas is in the tank.
• To protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia, use the woolen items and blankets to keep warm.
• Keep at least one window open slightly because snow and ice can seal a car shut.