Stay Safe On The Road This Winter:
5 Tips For Driving in Snow and Ice
Kansas City drivers know how quickly roads can deteriorate in a winter storm. It doesn’t take long for roads to become dangerously slippery when snow and icy rain begin to fall.
We’ve all had our slippery moments when driving on snowy, icy roads. Today we’re sharing 5 tips for driving in snow and ice to help you and your passengers stay safe on the roads this winter.
Tip #1: Slow Down!
Seriously friends, this seems like a no brainer but how many times have you had a vehicle speed past you during a heavy snowfall?
How many times have you been in a rush yourself when the roads are slippery and pushed the limits of what you knew was a safe driving speed?
The most important and easiest thing we can do to keep safe while driving in snow and ice is to slow down. It’s a fact that if you crash doing 25 miles an hour vs 60 miles an hour you and your passengers are far less likely to suffer severe injuries.
Slowing down to under the speed limit is not only smart, but helps keep you and those around you safe when driving on slippery roads.
Tip #2: Clean The Snow & Ice Off Your Car
Before Hitting The Road
Taking the time to remove the snow and ice from your entire vehicle is an imperative step in keeping not only yourself, but others on the road safe when driving in snow and ice.
How many times have you had the car in front of you dump a sheet of ice on the road right in your path while driving? Sometimes, this can happen many days after a storm when things begin to melt a little. It’s easiest to get the snow and ice cleaned off your car before you take it out on the road.
Be sure you have an ice scraper and snow brush with a telescoping, expandable arm to reach the hard to reach areas of your vehicle like the middle of the vehicle's roof so that you are able to remove all the snow safely.
Driving on slippery roads is dangerous enough, drivers shouldn’t be endangered by the burden of another vehicles' mound of snow left behind on the roof of their car to slide off and cause an accident.
Removing the snow and ice from your vehicle is not only a personal responsibility you should take seriously because you could cause an accident that seriously injures others, but it could end up costing you big bucks if you cause damage to someone else’s vehicle.
Take a few minutes to remove that snow!
Tip #3: Give Yourself Extra Time
Giving yourself extra time when you have to venture out onto snowy, icy roads is one of the most important things you can do to stay safe.
On any given day there are a number of variables that could make you late to your destination.
We’ve all hit unexpected traffic and chosen to drive faster than we normally would in order to reach our destination on time. We take our schedules seriously, and no matter where we’re headed, being late isn’t something to be celebrated.
Running into unexpected delays will happen no matter what the road condition is, so it’s important to give ourselves plenty of extra time when driving in snow and ice.
Not only do you want to give yourself extra driving time, but you have to give yourself plenty of extra time to do the things necessary to stay safe while on the roads like cleaning your car off properly and traveling at a much slower speed than you would normally travel at.
Tip #4: Keep A Safe Distance From Other Vehicles
Keeping a safe driving distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you is an important step to staying safe when driving—and in the snow, when the roads are super slippery...it could mean the difference between colliding with another vehicle or not.
It takes longer to slow down when braking on slippery roads. Slamming on your brakes or trying to stop short on slippery roads is a recipe for disaster.
Braking with caution and leaving plenty of space between you and vehicles in front of you allows you to have enough time to react and find a safe escape route in the event of an accident or a car losing control on the road in front of you.
A good rule of thumb in dry conditions is the 3 second rule—but on snowy, slushy, slippery roads, doubling that to 6 seconds is a good idea.
The 3 second rule is typically taught by driving instructors to help people avoid accidents. The idea is to keep 3 seconds between you and the car in front of you.To measure the 3, or 6 seconds in the case of wet roads, simply pick an upcoming object on the side of the road like a telephone pole or sign. When the vehicle in front of you is passing the object, begin to count how long it takes you to get to that object with the goal being 6 seconds in inclement driving conditions.
Tip #5: Take A Snow Day!
If you don’t have to go out onto snowy, icy roads, why not take a snow day? Maybe you can work remotely from home, or take the day off all together?
Life is busy. Snow days can be a time for stillness if your life allows for it. There’s something about freshly dropped snow that is peaceful and relaxing...if you’re not out driving in it!
So consider staying home and drinking some hot cocoa, building a snowman, taking the kids sledding in your neighborhood, or cuddling up with a warm blanket and a good book and give yourself, the roads, and your car a rest for the day. You’ll feel rejuvenated when you reenter the busy world tomorrow.
If you do have to venture out when the roads are covered in snow and ice, we hope our tips help you stay a little safer this winter.
In the unfortunate event you get stuck and need roadside assistance, remember Roadside Towing Services of Kansas City are always here to help. Give us a call anytime for assistance. Our tow truck drivers work around the clock, 24 hours a day to help the people of Kansas City with their roadside assistance and towing needs.
From Our Towing Family to Yours, We Hope You
Have A Safe & Happy New Year!
