Five Winter Driving Safety Tips You Need To Know

For many of us, winter can be a great time of year! There’s a change in weather, the arrival of the holidays, and lots of reasons to celebrate. However, winter is not the best time of year for many drivers. In fact, 17 percent of all driving accidents happen during the winter. Add that up with the fact that 70 percent of roads in the U.S. are in snowy areas and you’re asking for trouble.

And sure, you probably have a great auto insurance policy with Humble Eagle, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to take precautions to prevent accidents before they occur.

With the winter season fast approaching, here are five tips for driving safely with winter road conditions:

1. Keep your vehicle stocked with items that you might need on the road.

You should have an emergency kit year-round in your vehicle, but when it comes to winter driving you may need to add some specific items to help.

Have enough materials to clean your windshield, shovel snow and keep warm in the event that your car breaks down. Remember, in the case of an emergency always stay with your car until help arrives.

2. Try to avoid sudden stops.

Winter roads are wet and some may even be covered in ice or snow. For that reason, you’ll want to slow down before coming to any major stops. It takes more energy to stop your car than to start it and wet, icy roads reduce the amount of friction your tires are able to hold onto which can result in some unintended sliding.

3. Make sure that you have the proper tires to handle the winter road conditions.

Speaking of sliding, having the proper tires can help you avoid that. If you’re going to be driving in snow, you may want to consider buying snow tires in the fall so they will be in good shape for the season.

In general, you’ll want to make sure that the grip on your tires is not worn and that there are no uneven signs of aging. Buying the proper tires are essential to keeping you safe on the road.

4. Adjust your driving speed to account for the change in weather.

This one goes hand-in-hand with rule No. 2. You’ll want to change your speed so you’re able to make the necessary stops while driving in the winter. You’ll also want to slow down in case you encounter sudden changes in the road, like black ice.

5. If possible, avoid driving in particularly hazardous conditions.

We know that this one is hard, but if it’s possible, try to limit your driving in bad weather conditions. That means avoiding passing storms and late-night driving when possible.

Bonus Safety Tip: Do NOT warm up your car in a closed area.

This isn’t particularly related to driving, but it’s very important. Many of us choose to heat up our vehicles before hitting the road. Seriously, who wants to drive inside a little ice chest to work? Not me.

However, it’s important to understand that you must heat up your car outside in an open area. Your garage is a no-go on that one. Running your vehicle in an enclosed space can build up carbon monoxide, which can lead to death.

Be safe and stay warm!