Winter Driving Safety Tips
Thursday, December 01, 2011
If you plan on traveling during the winter, it pays to be
prepared for the unexpected. Getting stranded during a winter storm
can be a matter of life and death.
Following a few simple driving habits like planning ahead, driving
at a safe and legal speed, driving alert and sober, and buckling up
can help ensure you make it to your destination safely.
If you must drive during a storm:
- Plan your travel, selecting both primary and alternate
routes.
- Let someone know your travel routes and itinerary so, if you
don't arrive on time, officials will know where to search for
you.
- Check latest weather information on your radio.
- Try not to travel alone. Two or three people are
preferable.
- Travel in convoy (with another vehicle) if possible.
- Drive carefully and defensively. Watch for ice patches on
bridges and overpasses.
- Take note of your odometer and coordinate it with exit numbers,
mileposts, or crossroads so if you are in a crash or slide off the
road you'll better be able to identify where you are and summon law
enforcement officers, rescue workers, or tow truck operators more
quickly to your location.
- If a storm begins to be too much for you to handle, seek refuge
immediately.
- If your car should become disabled, stay with the vehicle,
running your engine and heater for short intervals. Be sure to
"crack" a window in the vehicle to avoid carbon monoxide
build-up.
Be courteous to those awaiting your
arrival:
- Call ahead to your destination just before you leave on your
drive.
- Let someone at your destination know the license number of your
vehicle and the route you'll be traveling, and give a realistic
estimate of your travel time.
- If you have a cell phone, give that number to the party at your
destination.
- When you do arrive at your destination, let a contact at your
company know you have arrived safely.
- If road conditions, drowsiness, etc., delay or postpone a
trip, make a phone call. Let people on both ends know of the
delay.
Reprinted with permission from Source: Utica National Insurance
Group "U-Connect" Newsletter. February 2011 No.
2
