With the winter months closing in, it won’t be long before snow moves into the area on a regular basis. Even if you enjoy this time of the year, you know one thing to be true: it’s never easy to drive when the roads are covered with snow.
If you find yourself hitting the road in the snow, here are some tips you can follow to prevent an accident:
— Move slowly. It doesn’t matter if you are accelerating, decelerating, or moving steadily. Make sure you do so in a slow manner. The faster you drive, the greater chance there is that you will lose contact with the road, thus increasing the likelihood of an accident.
— Leave a greater following distance. When there is snow on the road, it will take more time to stop your vehicle. For this reason, you need to leave more space between your car and those around you.
— Don’t stop abruptly. If you do this, there is a much greater chance that your vehicle will skid. The best thing you can do is slowly bring your car to a stop.
When you follow these snowy weather driving tips, you’re doing your part in remaining safe at all times. There is only one problem with this: other drivers may not take the same approach as you. As a result, you could still find yourself involved in an accident.
If another driver strikes your vehicle, do your best to move to the shoulder of the road. From there, don’t hesitate to contact an ambulance if you have suffered any type of injury.
Source: Automobile Association of America, “Winter Driving Tips,” accessed Nov. 24, 2016