One of the best places you can get winter driving tips from is C&S Car Company. They are always willing to provide you with winter driving tips. They can even help you avoid problems you may not have even thought of. These experts are full of knowledge that could make a big difference in your trip while driving during the winter months. Being prepared is one of the best safety driving tips for winter driving. While we usually know when a big winter storm is coming, it’s the little ones that can turn into bigger ones that we are not prepared for and can also run into trouble. There are several things to consider and prepare for before the winter months arrive, including the following.
Have your battery checked to make sure it does not need to be replaced.
Have your front and back windshield wipers checked to make sure they are in optimal working condition.
Have your tires checked and rotate or replace them if necessary.
Have any major vehicle work done before winter arrives.
After you have completed those tasks prepare for the unexpected. The unexpected is your car sliding off the road or stalling, and you find yourself sitting along the road in single-digit temperatures. It doesn’t take long for the inside of your car to get cold, and you certainly are not going to get out and start walking, especially in the middle of a storm.
Make sure you always have the following items in your car.
Snow shovel/ice scraper
Broom
Shovel (in case you get stuck)
A bag of sand or salt (in case you need traction)
Florescent colored glow the dark tape (if you break down, put a piece of tape on the front and back of your car just above the windshield, this will help cars see you better in the dark or in a storm)
Blanket for each person who normally travels in your vehicle with you.
An extra phone charger that plugs into a USB port in your car.
Your Winter Bag
This bag will contain enough bottled water for each person who travels with you for a few hours, protein bars, extra warm gloves, hat and scarf, socks, and an extra pair of boots (if your socks and shoes get wet, you’re going to be extremely uncomfortable while you wait for help to arrive. This bag will sit by the door you use to enter and exit your home. Each morning you leave, pick up the bag and put it in your car. Every evening when you return, bring the bag in and put it back by the door. This may seem like a tedious thing to do, but you never know when you will need it, so always bring it.
Traveling with Children and Infants
You will want to make sure you have something for your children to do while they wait, and they need snacks they like. You’ll be fine unless your child gets bored or is thirsty or hungry and decides they don’t want to sit in their car seat any longer. NEVER let them out of their car seat while sitting on the side of the road or even slightly off the road (if you slide off). Your child is safest in their car seat, and that’s where they need to remain. A comfort item like a blanket or stuffed animal should also be brought along to help soothe them. Children and infants can feel our uneasiness and fear. Try to remain calm and keep your voice and tone even. You do not want your child to be scared, so you can’t let them know that even if you are. Traveling with an infant is even more challenging. You can’t (certainly shouldn’t) take them out of their car seat to feed or change them. Put extra bottles in a warmer bag, so the milk or formula doesn’t get too cold for them. Make sure you have a hat, little mittens, and a blanket to cover them with. Just tuck the blanket in along the sides of their car seat (this works for children too, make sure they are not too hot. That’s why it is best to dress your children and infants in layers.
Leaving Your Driveway
Now that you know what you should do and have everything you need, it’s time to leave the driveway. Before you leave the driveway, make sure your car is cleaned off. No one likes a driver with a peephole to see out of and a heaping pile of snow that is falling off the top of your car onto the road in front of the vehicles behind you. If the roads are bad, you should leave the house early to get to your destination on time. One of the most important winter driving tips is to know when to leave your car in the driveway and stay home. Nothing is more important than your safety and the safety of your family.
Once you have made it onto the road, drive at a speed you are comfortable driving at (within reason, 5 mph is usually frowned upon by other drivers and the law).
Always slow down before you must stop.
Never slam on your brakes if you’re having trouble stopping and there is a car in front of you. Check the side of the road and see if you can glide your vehicle that way instead of into the back of the car stopped in front of you. You must always do while driving in the winter, looks around, and be prepared for the unexpected, and if you should encounter a situation, have a plan.
If you start to slide, take your foot off the brake and steer into the slide.
Driving in the winter months can be full of challenges, and if you always get to where you need to go safely, you’re doing just fine.
