When it comes to driving on snowy and/or icy conditions, I think the best piece of advice out there is to stay put. Best case scenario, you have a couple of treacherous winters under your belt and decide against staying indoors; you will not be the only one on the road trying to overcome the elements. There will most certainly be first time winter drivers out there looking for some slippery fun, or perhaps the idea of staying indoors all day is far too unbearable as it is for me. Regardless of why other people are out there, the point is that there will be. So, if staying indoors is an option I would say it would be the wisest one.
Perhaps another piece of advice that could come in handy when dealing with snow and ice is that having four-wheel/all -wheel drive does not exempt anyone from taking precautionary measures such as diminishing your velocity and keeping your distance. The purpose of all wheel drive is to provide all your tires with enough torque to be able to move through snowy terrain. It will not give you the extra traction needed to come to a stop.
When driving on icy or snowy streets don’t make any abrupt changes to your speed or direction. Chances are that your car will not react favorably and will not be able to maintain traction sending you into a skid from which the best case scenario will be an increase in heart rate. If for some reason your car does loose traction and you are skidding, do not over steer or slam on the brakes. Slowly remove your foot of the brake or gas pedal and hold the steering wheel in the direction you initially desired to go. This should help you regain control.
In conclusion, winter rules to live by;
- Don’t drive unless you need to
- Drive at a speed that makes sense for the conditions you are facing
- Keep your distance
- Do not panic if you enter into a skid.
If you or a loved one were injured in a winter car crash, don’t hesitate to call the auto accident lawyers at Mazow | McCullough for a consultation at (855) 693-9084.
