Be Prepared For Winter Driving

Anne Scallon is back as the editor of the online resource "Before The Wheel," Anne reminders drivers to educate their new drivers before getting behind the wheel. She also offers tips and reminders for veteran drivers as well. Today she reviews the rules for winter driving. It is a refresher course every driver needs heading into the new year. Successful Winter Driving is Dependent on 4 Easy to Remember and Easy to Follow Rules which we can call “Our Winter Driving APPS! Attention Preplanning Pivoting Speed Winter Driving Requires Your Full Attention! Attention: Not to do list Reaching for Items Talking on the Phone Texting Adjusting the radio or music Reading a manual or information Lingering at stop lights to look at your phone At the speeds people are driving on the highway and faster speed roads, there is no room for error. It seems like it takes only seconds to reach for items but when you look back at the traffic situation, everything often has changed quickly. By the time you look up it is too late to adapt. Preplanning & Pivoting It is Winter! It has been mild so far but that can change quickly. Early in the week, check the overall forecast. Maybe you are planning a trip on a Tuesday and the Tuesday forecast is “Freezing Rain”. Is there another day you can be flexible and switch around your plans? If you still need to make the trip on Tuesday, is there a different safer route that has better driving options? Put in an extra 15 to 20 minutes for each hour that you need to drive. Choose routes that give you options with a lot of exits to reroute. If conditions are very dangerous, try to plan a remote solution to a meeting or a delivery for groceries or necessary items. Speeding Speeding has become a major problem in all areas of the United States. With Highway speed limits of 70 miles per hour, many drivers are driving at 80 to 85 miles per hour. This creates a very dangerous situation if just one driver hits a patch of ice. Slow your speed to meet conditions. Icy roads require much lower speeds. Again, there is no opportunity to do just a quick glance at your phone! Keep your eyes on the road and frequently check your mirrors to see what other drivers are doing. If a nearby driver is making poor decisions, switch lanes, speed ahead of the driver or drop behind to not be near that driver.