Safe Winter Driving

While walking in a winter wonderland may be a beautiful sight, driving in one is not. As a matter of fact, crash rates and related injuries are higher in the winter than any other season. What may come as a surprise is that the most serious crashes that involve injuries do not occur during a snowstorm, but rather when the weather is clear and drivers are less attentive to surrounding conditions.

This can be an especially risky time for inexperienced teen drivers. In that light, this is a great time of the year to take your teen driver to an unobstructed, empty parking lot to practice low-speed maneuvers that involve braking and turning to help them to familiarize themselves with how a car behaves in slippery conditions.

This is also a good time for all of us to brush up our winter driving skills and make every attempt to take reasonable precautions before braving the latest storm. Here are some recommendations that may be of help:

• Begin by clearing all ice and snow from the windows, hood, roof, trunk, turn signals, taillights, and headlights of your vehicle.
• Slow down! Posted speed limits are for ideal conditions.
• Leave plenty of room for stopping.
• Brake early and carefully. Do not pump antilock brakes.
• Watch for slippery bridge decks - even when the pavement is in good condition.
• Do not use the cruise control in slippery conditions - the short touch of your brakes to deactivate the cruise control can be enough to lose control of your car.
• While a 4x4 vehicle may accelerate better than others in the snow, it doesn't stop better and may even take longer distances to stop if it is heavy.
• Remember that trucks are heavier as well and need more room to stop and maneuver.
• Look further ahead in traffic than normally to see the situation in front of you.

Vehicle preparation plays an important role in safe winter driving as well. Make sure to have a mechanic perform a winter safety check with careful attention to the ignition, battery, brakes, fuel system, wiper blades and fluid levels, tire condition and pressure, lights, and antifreeze levels. In addition, keep in the car a winter survival kit that includes flashlight with batteries, first aid kit, pocket knife, blanket, matches, extra mittens/gloves, small shovel, booster cables, help signal, and bottled water.

Finally, here are a few simple precautions if stuck in a blizzard:

• Do not leave the car unless help is visible within 100 yards.
• Display a trouble sign.
• Run the engine for about 10 minutes each hour and turn on the dome light when the car is running.
• Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Do minor exercises to maintain circulation.
• Use newspapers or even floor mats for added insulation.

I can think of no better way to enjoy the beauty of winter than to travel safely and without incident. In addition to the suggestions I've listed, sometimes the best thing to do is to just stay home, or if you are traveling longer distances, get off the road and find a warm and safe place to stay until the weather clears. Arriving safely and late is much better than not at all.

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