17.Oct.2011 Driving in the Winter: Important Tips That You Need to Know

While many people love the winter time because of the beautiful snow, ability to ski and snowboard, and the snowball fights, winter driving can be dangerous, both to yourself and your vehicle. Under icy conditions, accidents can occur at frequent rates if you are not careful. Also, improper care of your vehicle during the winter time can lead to many costly problems that are not enjoyable to fix. Here are some great winter driving tips that will keep you safe on the road as well as keep your vehicle in top shape. Always remember to follow your drivers handbook for road safety.

1.) Keep your vehicle’s gas tank at least half full. If your tank is not at least half full, your gas line can freeze, causing your vehicle to be unable to start. This occurs because condensation gets in the gas line when it is warmer outside, only later, that condensation freezes.

2.) Do not use cruise control at all during slippery and icy conditions. If you lose traction, your vehicle cannot react fast enough, essentially losing control of your vehicle.

3.) When driving in the snow, accelerate and decelerate extremely slow. The problem many people have when driving in winter weather is that they get too confident in how their vehicle drives. Just because you may have 4-wheel drive on your vehicle does not mean you will stop from sliding any quicker than another vehicle.

4.) Do not stop abruptly if you do not have to. Many times, people will not being paying attention to the traffic lights, and as they approach the light, it turns to yellow, and they slam on their breaks. When the roads are icy, this can lead to dangerous outcomes, and you may slide right into oncoming traffic.

5.) Be sure to watch weather reports and stay home if you do not have to go out for anything important. If you have to attend work, of course you have to drive, but do so with safe winter driving habits. If you say that you want to go pick up a burrito at the gas station, this doesn’t sound important, so it’s best to stay indoors.

All in all, you should utilize these tips for safe driving during the winter. Road conditions change quickly, so adjust your driving as needed and be safe.