Help Avoid Collisions This Winter: Driving in Snow and Ice

Driving in inclement weather conditions is something that everyone should avoid, but if you must get on the road, be sure to use caution. When driving snowy or icy conditions, simply keeping your eyes on the road isn’t enough. Extra vigilance is required.

Here are some helpful tips when driving in snow or ice:

  1. Don't go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work. Once the roads have been cleared and salted, allow yourself extra time to reach your destination. Remember not to pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
     
  2. When driving in snowy or icy conditions, be sure to decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and other cars.
     
  3. Brake gently to avoid skidding on the slippery roads. While the proper technique is to ease off the brakes if your wheels lock, that is not the case with ABS or anti-lock systems. With ABS you should continue to hold the brake down and let the system work at releasing and reapplying the brakes automatically.
     
  4. Lighting is crucial when it comes to visibility for yourself and other motorists on the road. Be sure to keep your lights on at all times, and make sure they are clean. Having a clean windshield is also important when driving during blizzard-like conditions.
     
  5. Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all types of weather conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

Be sure to stay alert while driving, and keep the proper tools with you in case you do find yourself in a bad situation. Always make sure your vehicle has an ice scraper, shovel, anti-freeze, salt and sand. A cellphone and charger are also essential in case you need to call for help.

Hupy and Abraham, reminds you to drive safely this winter season. You have the ability to prevent accidents on the road by driving safely and cautiously. If you are injured in a car accident, contact us. We've collected more than $1 BILLION for clients and represented more than 70,000 injured people.