Safe Driving Tips For The Winter Season

With the temperatures steadily dropping throughout the country, many regions are seeing the first-signs of true winter weather -- including both snow and ice. For most working Americans, conditions such as these aren't an excuse to miss work. We're still required to wake up, crank the car and head to our job. However, roads blanketed in ice or snow creates an entirely new set of dangers that drivers need to be aware of. In this post, we're going to cover some safe driving tips for the winter season, revealing how drivers should deal with snow and ice-covered roads.

According to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, approximately 15% of all weather-related crashes occur in the snow/sleet, and 13% occur on icy pavement. While this statistic is pretty high, it still fails in comparison to the 75% of crashes which occur in wet/rainy weather conditions. The bottom line is that you can drive during rough winter conditions, but drivers should take some extra precautions to ensure they safely make it to their destination without getting into an accident.

Check Your Tires

Before you even think about hitting the road in icy or snowy conditions, you should first perform a visual inspection of your tires. During the 'normal' spring and summer months, you can probably drive around town just fine on bald, worn-out tires; however, driving on these same tires during the winter may result in an accident. Remember, you want well-inflated (not over-inflated) tires with plenty of deep tread.

How do you know if your tires have enough tread? One technique that millions of drivers use is the 'Penny Test.' Take a penny and place it head-down inside the tread of your tire. If you can see the line which defines Honest Abe's head, you need new tires.

Use Caution on Bridges and Overpasses

Bridges and overpasses pose one of the greatest threats to drivers during the winter, as they tend to ice over faster than highways and roads. Try to plan a route that avoids any bridges and overpasses just to be on the side side. And if you must go over them, approach slowly and with caution. Slow and steady wins the race when you're driving in heavy winter conditions.

Pump The Brakes

Gently pressing and holding the brakes on iced over roads will likely send your car skidding or fishtailing. Ideally, you should allow your vehicle to coast to a stop when the roads are iced over. If you notice another car or object ahead of you and need to stop suddenly, pump the brakes are hard as you can while keeping your hands on the steering wheel.