Monday morning, I was driving to school. Same route every day. I know it well. As I pull towards a stop sign, I tried to push on the brakes, I felt none of the resistance I was used to. Without any control of the car on the ice, I slid directly into a tree. Although I wouldn’t consider this a traumatic experience by any means, it definitely taught me that something needed to change for me to stay safe on the road during the winter. Here are some lessons I’ve learned on the road that I think will help you too.
- Clean Your Car – Before you even start moving the car, you should make sure visibility and distractions are minimized for safety. Be sure to keep an ice scraper inside of the car and clean off the windshield, windows, and roof before moving. It’s also important to defrost excess ice/frost on the windshield before moving. To make things easy on yourself, try and start your car before finishing your morning routine. Defrosting is highly dependent on time, especially if you have an older car so try to start it earlier.
- Get Rest – This one is pretty self explanatory, but if you don’t feel rested enough to get on the road then don’t. Putting off the next task or strains for the day in order to keep yourself and others safe is so much more worth it.
- Slow Down, Especially On Turns – This one is pretty self explanatory, but slowing down will give you more control over the car as a whole. When driving on the ice, there is not enough friction between the tires and the ice for the same level of control that would be had on a dry road. Especially when turning on ice, having too much speed can cause your car to spin out.
- Increase Following Distance – Road conditions are going to be hectic for everyone in the winter, so if you want to stay safe, it’s best to avoid any potential dangers before they come. Adding space between you and the next car allows more time to anticipate any hazards and adapt.
I’m definitely not a pro on the road yet, but these are some good lessons I’ve learned so far in my driving career. Take your time and be safe.
