Staying Snow Safe On The Roads
Posted by admin at 21 March 2018, at 23 : 13 PM
When you’re a new driver, you don’t often know that driving in the winter is very different to any other time of year. There are longer periods of darkness to deal with in the winter, occluding vision and making the roads more dangerous. The weather is also a huge factor, with ice, snow and freezing rain making you a much more vulnerable driver on the road.
The weather is the biggest issue when it comes to driving in the winter. The differing conditions create different hazards, which means that the hazards with fog and rain will be very different to that of fresh snow, and snow that has frozen over. Ideally, roads will be covered in grit and salt when the weather warnings show that snow is on the way. Sometimes, though, this doesn’t happen fast enough, and this means that you have to contact a car accident lawyer unless you learn how to drive safely in adverse weather conditions. You could be on one journey and see three or four different climates along the same journey; the weather is so interchangeable that you have to be vigilant with how you adapt to the conditions around you. It goes without saying that in the worst conditions, you should just leave the car on the drive and fire up a pot of coffee; you’re not going anywhere! In the meantime, check out these winter driving tips so that you are driving as safely as you can.
Car Preparation. To be able to drive without being a danger to yourself or others, you have to prepare your car. Ensuring that you take your car in for a service before a predicted change in the weather is going to make a big difference to the way that you drive. A serviced car can often be handled far better, but you also need to have your lights checked to ensure that they are clean, working and you should have spare bulbs in the car. Always have the battery checked to ensure it’s charged correctly, and have an expert check the tread and depth of your tyres.
Kit. As part of your car preparation, you have to prepare a kit in the boot just in case you get snowed at the side of the road. You’ll need a torch, a shovel, snow boots, de-icing equipment, water and snacks and spare blankets at the very minimum.
Journey Preparation. Always pay attention to the local radio stations, as they will be able to tell you the weather conditions to expect ahead of you. You should also pay attention to what the emergency services have to say about travelling. If it is being recommended that you should stay put, listen to them. Emergency services will never encourage you to travel if it’s a bad idea. If you have no choice, you need to drive the slowest speed possible. Plan as many alternative routes and let someone know your route – just in case.
Safety is always more important than having your car crash on the road. Pay attention and be vigilant with your road use.