With winter descending upon us, the weather can become more treacherous. This makes driving conditions hazardous, and collisions and accidents more likely to occur. If you are keen to hone your driving skills and minimize your chances of getting stuck in dreadful weather, you need to read on and follow this simple guide to help arm you with some winter driving strategies.
Maintenance
Before you even get behind the wheel of your car, you need to take extra care in making sure that it is maintained to a safe a reliable standard. Ensure that you carry out a fluid check for your oil and antifreeze and washer fluid before every single journey. Regular use of your car isn’t enough to ensure that it is going to run reliably.
If you rely on your vehicle to commute to work, you need to carry out these checks every evening or every morning to ensure that your car is safe. Make sure that you have checked your tire pressures and ensure that your windscreen is free from ice before you set off. If you are driving a truck, you must make sure that your wheels are ready for the road surface that it is driving on. Check out the Knight Transportation – truck tire chaining video to help you prepare for bad weather.
Maintenance checks are crucial to ensure that your vehicle is fit for purpose. You wouldn’t knowingly drive an unreliable vehicle so ensure that you get it right first time.
Be A Cautious Driver
It’s crucial that you are able to maintain your cautious driving. Driving defensively is more important in winter than in any other season. Ensure that you leave a safe gap between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. In the summer in sunny conditions, you can make do with a two second gap. In wet or icy conditions, you may need to increase this to eight or ten seconds. While this may slow you down, you are better off reaching your destination eventually rather than not at all.
You must drive slowly. It doesn’t matter how flustered you are because the kids are late for school, you need to ensure that you are alert and aware of the hazards around you. Drive defensively, and try to pay close attention to other road users. Pedestrians and motorbikes, in particular, are tougher to see in snowy or rainy conditions. As such, your speed needs to remain well inside the limit.
If you find yourself in a snow blizzard, you must heed some special driving strategies. Use as high a gear possible to try and prevent your wheels spinning or skids. If you do find yourself skidding, don’t panic. Steer into the skid and slow down gradually. You must take corners slower than you normally would and you need to pay closer attention to stationary cars. Give potential hazards a wide berth and brake gently to make sure that your wheels don’t lock.
Keep a blanket, some water and a warning triangle in your car. While you don’t anticipate getting stuck in the snow, you need to be prepared for every eventuality.
Follow this guide and you will have a whole host of driving strategies to help you this winter.