Winter is on its way, which means it’s almost time for snowflakes on your windshield and slippery roads ahead. Stay safe by following these tips on how to avoid incidents and prepare to drive in bad weather. A little prevention and preparation will go a long way toward a smooth trip!
Prepare your vehicle:
- Check the tire tread and replace tires if less than 2/32 of an inch.
- Check all fluids, cooling and heating system, and the battery (most vehicles have diagnostic gauges that can be checked).
- Check wiper blades and washer fluid and replace as needed (-30 degrees for fluid).
- Keep the fuel tank at least half full to prevent the gas line from freezing.
Before you drive:
- Clean your external camera lenses, side mirrors, windows, headlights, and taillights so that you can see and be seen.
- Never let your vehicle warm up in a garage to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Clean sensors to allow safety assist features to work properly such as emergency braking, lane departure, etc.
- Watch the weather or news forecast and if road conditions are deemed dangerous, leave later to allow official vehicles to clean the roads.
- Keep an ice scraper, blanket, bottle of water, and an energy bar inside your vehicle in case of emergency.
How to avoid an incident:
- Increase your following distance.
- Avoid harsh acceleration and braking.
- Avoid using cruise control.
- If road conditions are deemed unsafe, don’t travel.
Following these and other winter driving tips can help drivers reduce risk and avoid potential incidents. For more information like this or to schedule a safety training session with SMG, contact us here.
