Drive Snow Safely
Posted by admin at 11 February 2018, at 20 : 20 PM
We’re living in one of the coldest months of the year right now, which means the weather does its own thing without consulting you (how rude) before you get in your car for the day. Snowy conditions can make the roads a big challenge for even the most seasoned motorist. Ice, rain and thickly laying snow turn the usual easy route to work into a dangerous decision to be made, so learning how to drive properly in adverse conditions is a must.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been driving for, adverse weather can cause you to have an accident if you haven’t prepared your car or yourself before you get going. The last thing that you need is to get into bother, push your insurance premiums right up and get information from a chiropractor about auto accidents. Getting updates on the weather and the traffic ahead before you leave the house can help you to avoid an accident and avoid that conversation! Clearing your car of all ice and snow, from the windows to the windscreen and roof is important. Buying an appropriate de-icer at the start of the winter season is an absolute must as it’s illegal to drive without total visibility.
You should be checking your wipers, tyres and screenwash before you go anywhere in your car. You need to ensure that your wipers will take away any snow if it happens to be falling while you are driving. You need to make sure that your tyre tread is deep enough to handle the snowy ground and even ice and you need to have a screenwash that is high quality to prevent the water that is washing the windscreen from freezing. These things aren’t optional, they are imperative to your safety. Taking any of this for granted is only going to mean that you are putting yourself and any passengers that you may have in danger while out.
Packing an emergency bag for the trunk of the car may feel extreme while you pack it, but if you get into bother on the road you’ll be thanking yourself for your own forethought later on. A wind-up torch, food, drinks, batteries and matches should all be a part of your bag for the trunk, as should a hi-vis vest and blankets to stay warm. If your car dies on the road, you won’t be blessed with heat on the hard shoulder while you wait for help. The key to driving in the snow is to go slowly and be prepared for the hills. Being aware of other drivers on the road is just good sense and you can bet that you need to think about the environment you are driving in as a whole.
Ultimately, you need to think whether your driving is actually worth it. If you don’t have to go anywhere, or you can work from home, don’t put yourself in a position of risk. You may be a fab driver, but you cannot guarantee everyone else is.