Winter Driving
Posted: January 23rd, 2012 | Author: jsabuilder | Filed under: Safety Tip | No Comments »
While a portion of our JSABuilder community is enjoying a sunny, southern hemisphere summer, most of our community is in the midst of a northern hemisphere winter – and facing dramatically different driving conditions than the rest of the year. For some drivers, this means snow covered roads and near-blizzard conditions. For other drivers in more moderate, dry climates, this means now adjusting to driving in wet conditions. Either way, it means cooler temperatures than normal, fewer hours of daylight, and facing other drivers who are also not used to driving in these seasonal conditions.
• Follow the 4-second rule: leave four seconds of road space between you and the car in front of you
• Maintain a view of the big picture: keep checking down the road in front of you, as well as in the lanes next to you, for erratic drivers, changes in road conditions and slowing traffic, and make sure to keep a safe space cushion around your vehicle (sides, front, back)
• Use your lights: even in daylight, the use of head and tail lamps can significantly increase your visibility to other drivers
• Pull over to make a phone call: avoid placing and receiving calls while driving. Research is showing that even hands-free devices contribute to distracted driving.
• Sunglasses: keep a pair of sunglasses or driving glasses in the glove box – sun reflecting off snow or wet roads can result in an incredible glare, making it difficult to see properly
• Perform a car “check-up”: tires/tread, headlights and turn signals, oil, windshield wiper fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid, and, of course, gas
• Keep your car stocked: extra blanket, flashlight, water bottle, first aid kit, umbrella, boots, cell phone charger and/or bag of sand or cat litter for unexpected conditions
Remember, pull over if conditions change and you are no longer comfortable driving.
For information on road conditions, visit:
http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/interstate/roadconditions.html
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/
For additional winter “safe driving” tips, perform a quick search in your favorite search engine for “winter driving,” visit your state DOT website, or visit:
http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/drivingsafety/drivingsafetytips/snow.html
http://www.aaaexchange.com/main/default.asp?categoryid=3&subcategoryid=55
http://www.cartalk.com/content/winter-driving-tips-7
Return to JSABuilder homepage!
Leave a Reply