Special section
Winter Driving Safety
Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for
automobile travel. Motorists should know the safety rules for
dealing with winter road emergencies.
AAA recommends the following
winter driving tips:
• Avoid driving while you’re fatigued.
Getting the proper amount of rest before
taking on winter weather tasks reduces
driving risks.
• Never run a ve hicle in an enclosed area,
such as a garage.
• Make certain your tires are properly
inflated.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full.
• If possible, avoid using your parking brake
in cold, rainy and snowy weather.
• Do not use cruise control when driving on
any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
50 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Mt. Lebanon
• Always look and steer where you want to
go.
• Use your seat belt every time you get into
your vehicle.
Tips for long-distance winter trips:
• Watch weather reports prior to a longdistance drive or before driving in isolated
areas. Delay trips when especially bad
weather is expected. If you must leave, let
others know your route, destination and
estimated time of arrival.
• Always make sure your vehicle is in peak
operating condition by having it inspected
by a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility.
• Keep at least half a tank of gasoline in your
vehicle at all times.
• Pack a cellular telephone with your local
AAA’s telephone number, plus blankets,
gloves, hats, food, water and any needed
medication in your vehicle.
• If you become snow-bound, stay with your
vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and
makes it easier for rescuers to locate you.
Don’t try to walk in a severe storm. It’s easy
to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing
snow and become lost.
• Don’t over exert yourself if you try to push
or dig your vehicle out of the snow.
• Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna
or place a cloth at the top of a rolled up
window to signal distress. At night, keep
the dome light on if possible. It only uses a
small amount of electricity and will make it
easier for rescuers to find you.
• Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t clogged
with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust
could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to
leak into the passenger compartment with
the engine running.
• Use whatever is available to insulate your
body from the cold. This could include
floor mats, newspapers or paper maps.
• If possible run the engine and heater just
long enough to remove the chill and to
conserve gasoline.
Tips for driving in the snow:
• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying
the gas slowly to accelerate is the best
method for regaining traction and avoiding
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.
• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on
snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping
and turning—nothing happens as quickly
as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to
maneuver by driving slowly.
• The normal dry pavement following
distance of three to four seconds should
be increased to eight to 10 seconds. This
increased margin of safety will provide the
longer distance needed if you have to stop.
• Know your brakes. If you have anti-lock
brakes (ABS) and need to slow down
quickly, press hard on the pedal—it’s
normal for the pedal to vibrate a bit when
the ABS is activated. In cars without ABS,
use “threshold” breaking, keeping your heel
on the floorboard and using 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 just starts your wheels
spinning. 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
down hill as slowly as possible.
• 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.
• Stay home. If you really don’t have to go
out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the
snow, not everyone else can. n