What better to blog about today than the weather? It seems the weather people may have been fairly right this time. I don’t know about you, but I hate driving when it’s raining, snowing, etc. In fact, I prefer to avoid it at all costs. But, sometimes you have to venture out, and call me paranoid, I always keep my extra Carhartts in the back, along with some hand warmers, gloves and extra food and water.
Yeah, yeah, we all know how to be cautious and drive in snow, but there may be something you’ve never heard or thought of. So, here are a few tips I found for driving in the snow, and maybe, just maybe, following these can help you avoid an accident. I know there were definitely some I had not thought of.
1. To avoid getting your car towed or plowed in, review the parking restrictions and plowing routes for your city. You may need to move your car. (I grew up in the country, so this would totally slip my mind.)
2. If you must drive, clear the snow off of your windshield, windows, mirrors, headlights and brake lights (no one can see covered brake lights!!).
3. Make sure your wipers and headlights are turned on.
4. Be patient – don’t rush! Remember, everyone else will be running late, too! (Sometimes I have little trouble with this patience thing..)
5. Drive for the conditions. Go well below the speed limit – ice, heavy snow, traffic and poor visibility will require longer following and stopping distances (allow at least 8 to 10 seconds for stopping).
6. If you do come across a snow plow or sand truck, don’t panic, drive slowly and give them the right of way. (Sometimes it seems like those snow plows are going 100 mph, I definitely don’t care to get in their way!)
a. Drive slow, leave plenty of room for stopping distance (at least 150 ft.) and pay attention to the snow plow and what it is doing.
b. Snow plows and sand trucks may stop, back up or turn around suddenly
7. Stay in the inside lane (the one furthest away from the curb) on multi-lane roads. Single lane road? Drive closer to the middle of the road. Why? Snow tends to drift and pile up on to the sides of the road.
8. Drive in tire tracks that have already been established.
9. Don’t changes lanes unless it’s necessary – you could catch a wheel in the heavy snow or an ice patch and lose control.
10. Watch out for black ice. Black ice is common under bridges and overpasses. It’s called black ice because it’s dark and hard to see.
11. If you need to make an emergency stop, don’t pump the brakes if your car has an Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS). When you release the brake, your car’s brake system will turn off and on.
12. If you are stranded or stuck in a snow bank, do the following:
a. Using the shovel in your winter car emergency kit, clear away the snow from around the tires, under the car and near the exhaust. (Shovel...why didn’t I think of that?)
b. If you have sand in your car, scatter it around the front tires (for front-wheel drive cars) or around the rear-tires (for rear-wheel drive cars). (I carry sand with me all the time..not..)
c. Put the car in a low gear and go SLOW – do not spin the tires! This could ruin your clutch or transmission and create ice under your tires.
d. If the situation allows (and it's safe), try to slowly "rock" the car back and forth to build a small amount of momentum.
e. Call roadside assistance if you are unable to free the car.
Be careful out there!
Jenny
Intern
Source: http://www.whathappensnow.com/articles_show.cfm?id=107&cat=1&sub=1
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