Winter driving can present a whole array of hazardous conditions that you won\u2019t encounter during any of the other seasons. To begin with, braking distance is greatly affected by rain, ice, and snow. And, knowing how to maneuver safely when the weather takes control of your daily commute or road trip can possibly make the difference between getting into a crash and avoiding one.<\/p>\n
Whenever the temperature is about to drop, you should make sure to winterize your car. Spending a little extra time checking your vehicle\u2019s tires and tire pressure, battery, belts and hoses, radiator, oil level, lights, brakes, exhaust system, heater\/defroster, wipers and ignition system can save you money and keep you from breaking down as well.<\/p>\n
Three key elements should always be followed when driving on slick roads:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Stay alert;
\n\u2022 Slow down; and
\n\u2022 Stay in control<\/p>\n
Remember \u2013 you won\u2019t have the same level of control on rain, ice, or snow-covered winter roads as you do during the summer months because of a reduction in traction. That means you can\u2019t drive as fast, take turns at high speed, or expect your stopping distance to remain the same. Therefore, you should:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Lower your speed
\n\u2022 Stop and turn more gently
\n\u2022 Increase following distance<\/p>\n
Some safety experts recommend motorists use extra caution on slippery roads by reducing their speed to at least half the posted speed limit. Of course, conditions will dictate how fast you can drive safely. You may have to drive even slower under snowy road conditions.<\/p>\n
If your tires are excessively worn<\/a>, you will increase your chances of having an accident. Check the tread and replace the rubber, if you need to. Maintaining proper tire pressure is also an important part of safe winter driving.<\/p>\n When the outside temperature drops ten degrees, your tires\u2019 air pressure can drop one to two pounds per square inch (commonly referred to as PSI), and the lower the pressure goes the more difficult your vehicle will be to handle. Keep your tires properly inflated by checking the pressure often during the cold winter months.<\/p>\n Here are a few more ways to stay safe on winter roads:<\/p>\n \u2022 Start slowly to avoid spinning your tires. Accelerate evenly. You may not be able to avoid every accident while driving on slippery winter roads, but by heeding some of these valuable tips, you can greatly reduce your chances.<\/p>\n Reduce what you\u2019re paying for car insurance<\/a> and start getting the best auto insurance rates available. It\u2019s easy. Just get a free auto insurance quote comparison<\/a> today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Winter driving can present a whole array of hazardous conditions that you won\u2019t encounter during any of the other seasons. To begin with, braking distance is greatly affected by rain, ice, and snow. And, knowing how to maneuver safely when the weather takes control of your daily commute or road trip can possibly make the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[81],"importance":[],"type-content":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1480"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1480"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7342,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1480\/revisions\/7342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1480"},{"taxonomy":"importance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/importance?post=1480"},{"taxonomy":"type-content","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-content?post=1480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u2022 Install chains as needed where snow and ice are present. Keep your distance.
\n\u2022 Reduce your speed. Gauge how fast you can safely drive and stay within the limits of your driving ability.
\n\u2022 Avoid hard braking. Slow down earlier so braking won\u2019t need to be sudden.
\n\u2022 Maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you.
\n\u2022 Keep your vehicle in good working condition. Pay attention to the lights, tires, brakes, wipers, defroster, and radiator for proper coolant level.
\n\u2022 Don\u2019t drive with fogged or frosted windows. Keep all your windows clear.
\n\u2022 Ice is often not visible until it\u2019s too late. Be exceptionally aware on bridges and in shaded areas for \u201cblack ice\u201d.<\/p>\n