When winter comes, people start rightly worrying about the weather if they live in an area that even occasionally gets snowfall. Wintry road conditions are a major hazard for drivers, particularly teen drivers or other drivers who are not familiar with how to drive properly in the snow. By preparing your family for how to navigate the snow, you can help ensure their safety and the safety of other drivers.
Make Sure The Car Has Proper Tires
You should always make sure you have quality tires on all vehicles used by your family. It is simply not worth risking your family’s lives by using cheap or worn tires on the road, especially in snow where sliding becomes much more likely. You can switch to tires designed for handling snow as winter sets in or simply use quality year-round tires, which are readily available. You can also add snow chains to your tires.
Practice Careful Driving Techniques
Teaching every member of your family, especially teen drivers, how to drive properly in the snow is the single best way to prevent an incident. Drivers should always drive slower in the snow, leaving more room to stop at traffic lights and stop signs. This gives you more room to skid and still not hit anything. Drive at a slower speed than you would normally, especially to keep with the flow of traffic. Another useful technique is to gain inertia before a hill so the vehicle can make it up without stopping or spinning its wheels.
Follow Traffic Laws More Stridently
It’s easy to get more lax with traffic laws when the roads are in good shape, but when they are not it can be a problem. Police can cite you for driving at an unsafe speed in bad weather conditions, even if you were driving the regular speed limit. It’s also important to understand the laws governing the usage of snow chains in your state. In the case a member of your family gets a traffic ticket, a traffic ticket lawyer can be consulted about your case.
Know When To Stay In
Although sometimes you cannot avoid driving in the snow, other times you need to carefully consider if driving in bad weather is worth the risk. A bad snow or ice storm can shut down roads and cause major accidents, even if snow plows and salt trucks are on the job. In especially bad weather, your family should know that they shouldn’t go out unless they absolutely need to. You should also teach them how to judge if the roads are unsafe enough that they should turn around and go home.
Driving well in the snow takes practice and some basic knowledge. Ensure your vehicles are properly maintained and up to the task. Be sure to help your family learn the right techniques and relevant laws so they can reach their destinations safely.