Winter Driving Safety

By Brittany Davies

With the brunt of winter just around the corner, February, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to facing Mother Nature. Being prepared for the cold and icy weather is especially vital if traveling in a car. Avoid emergencies, potentially dangerous situations, and being late to important meetings/depositions by following these simple tips and suggestions (and this is coming from a Western New York girl…I know snow!).

1. Always keep bottled water or some sort of beverage in your car that is easily accessible.

2. Contrary to popular belief, DO NOT eat snow if you’re stranded and thirsty. Eating the snow is only going to rob your body of its heat as it converts the frozen precipitation to a liquid. If worse comes to worst and snow is your only option for hydration, take some snow and put it in a can/cup/anything that will hold it, and put it between layers of blankets or clothes to melt it. Your body’s radiant heat will then melt it, rather than you freezing even more.

3. With that said, keep an extra pair of clothes and plenty of blankets in your vehicle.

4. Keep a first aid kit in your car that has everything you would need…essential medications, inhalers, Epi Pens. For my car, I have a kit that has Velcro and sticks to the side of the floor wall in my passenger seat. That way, if I am somehow in a situation where my car rolls, it will be sticking right there!

5. Have some sort of non-perishable food available. This could include things like granola or protein bars, candy bars, trail mix, peanut butter and beef jerky.

6. Keep a source of light easily at hand. This could be flashlights, matches (candles) and especially road flares to prevent someone from hitting you when on the side of the road.

7. Before you go out, make sure your gas tank is full and your cell phone battery is fully charged! Keep jumper cables in your car too for battery troubles.

8. Keep kitty litter, a spare piece of carpet or cardboard in your car to help your tires have something to grip onto while stuck on an icy surface. If you do not have any of those objects available, you can always use your car mats.

9. Keep a whistle or some sort of object in your car that can help you make a loud noise if you are trapped out of plain sight.

10. And lastly, when it comes to the actual driving in the snow, remember to take it slow, keep your distance and give yourself time to stop. If you start to swerve or get pulled into slush, never steer your wheel in the opposite direction of the way you’re being pulled. Always steer with the pull.

I hope that helps everyone in some way! Stay safe and warm in the upcoming month. Spring is right around the corner…or so we can hope!