01/19/2024
Students driving to and from school today:
Remember winter driving tips to keep you safe and avoid crashing!
-Do NOT use cruise control
-Drive slowly. Always adjust your speed down to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice.
-Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry and take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
-Increase your following distance to five to six seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
-Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
-Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads will just make your wheels spin. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly.
-Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
-Be prepared! Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and your gas tank is full! A full tank of gas not only helps way your car down for more traction, it also provides you with warmth in the event you get stuck and need rescued!
Stay safe out there!
