Tips for Traveling over the River & through the Woods
The kids are packed, work is finished, and now it is just a matter of driving to grandma’s house. Whether celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, or New Year’s in town or three states away, holiday travel means congested roads.
Styka & Styka, LLC, wants you to be safe during this season’s holiday travels. While we can’t predict the weather, we can offer the following tips for safe winter driving:
1. Pack Your Car for Winter Safety
When traveling long distances, be sure to pack a cell phone car charger, blankets, a flashlight and batteries, boots, hats, and mittens inside your car.
2. Watch the Weather Report before You Leave
Watch weather reports and check state police websites prior to a long-distance drive or before driving in isolated areas. Delay trips when especially bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route and estimated time of arrival.
3. Keep Your Gas Tank at least Half Full & Tires Properly Inflated
By keeping your gas tank more than half full, you prevent possible fuel line freezes in cold winter weather. Properly inflated tires help you maintain control of your car on snow, rain, or ice-covered roads.
4. Don’t Use Cruise Control on Slippery Roads
Don’t risk your safety with cruise control on rain, ice, or snow-covered roads.
5. Avoid Driving When Fatigued
Car trips require alert drivers. If you are feeling tired, take turns driving with other licensed passengers or pull off to a rest stop or motel for a break.
6. Take Your Time
Everything takes longer in bad weather: braking, turning, accelerating. Drive slowly and carefully. It’s better to be late than to never arrive at all.
7. Run the Air Conditioner to Defrost
To remove condensation and frost from the interior of windows, engage your air-conditioner and select the fresh air option. It’s fine to set the temperature on “hot.” Many cars automatically do this when you choose the defrost setting.
8. Help the Other Driver
If you see a stranded motorist, do them a favor by calling and reporting the exact location and description of the vehicle. Mobile amateur radio operators and CBers can help by relaying messages to base stations who in turn will call the police.
9. Let the Plows Do Their Jobs
Don’t start off on your trip until plows have had a chance to clear the roads. If you are on the highway and encounter a plow, don’t pass it until you can see the road ahead of the plow. You should not try to pass in blowing snow. There may be a vehicle in that cloud of snow! Allow more distance between you and the plow, they may be spreading salt.
10. Never, Ever Text and Drive
No text is worth your life or the lives of others. If you have an urgent message to send, have someone else in the car do the texting for you.