Erie Winter
Driving Tips
By Brenda Bennett , CDI , CDRS , President , Transportation Solutions
There is nothing worse as a parent than when your child drives to school and a snowstorm hits during the day . Your stomach is in knots because your child has no experience driving in snow . Here are some steps to keep everyone safe .
1 . Stay off of I-90 in bad weather ! However , stay on the main roads as much as possible . They are plowed and salted first .
2 . Make sure everyone has good tires on their vehicles . If you slide every time you hit the brakes , it is usually the tires . I am a big fan of winter tires — they truly make a difference .
3 . Add cat litter to the trunk of the vehicle . The extra weight will help with front-wheel-drive vehicles and sliding / skidding , especially around corners . Cat litter also helps if you get stuck — you can put it around your tires for traction .
4 . Be sure to have a shovel , gloves and jumper cables in your trunk .
5 . Every year , when the first snow hits , I drive to an empty parking lot and firmly apply the brakes to get a feel for how my brakes are going to react . This helps get the nerves out of my system right off the bat .
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
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Millcreek | Winter 2016 | icmags . com 59