Driving Safely This Winter

If you live in an area where it snows, you have probably seen someone who has slid off the road. Maybe you have yourself! Winter driving can be tricky, but with the proper knowledge you can significantly reduce the amount of mistakes you make the next time you find yourself in a slick situation!

Here are some tips that we think will help you drive safely this winter:

Drive Smoothly! – This first step is a simple one. Driving smoothly and deliberately will reduce your risk of losing traction. Jerky movements of the steering wheel, gas pedal, or brakes can be enough to break your tires free of traction; causing serious problems. Drive like you have a bowl of hot soup filled to the brim on your dashboard!

Stay Back – The less traction you have, the harder it is to stop! If you are driving around other cars you need to stay further back then you would in normal conditions. You need to give yourself enough space to make an emergency stop if needed. The rule of thumb for this is to double your following distance in wet conditions, triple it in snow, and at least triple your distance in icy conditions! This will also give you more time to slow down for turns, which need to be taken extra slow in these conditions.

Watch Your Instrument Cluster! – If you aren’t already in the habit of keeping an eye on your instrument cluster, you should be! There are several important warnings that can show up here. The one we are focusing on however, is the Stability Control Light. This handy little amber light will flash anytime your wheels lose traction, notifying you that you should probably let off the gas or ease up on the brakes! If you accelerate hard, you will probably see this light, indicating that your wheels are spinning. It is very important when driving in the snow that you ease onto the gas when accelerating from a stop.

Look Where You Want To Go – This one is important! If you feel your car beginning to slide, NEVER look in the direction it’s sliding! You always want look in the direction you want to go. Most of the time, you will end up where you are looking. This is a rule that even race-car drivers follow to pull out of a skid!

These are just a few of the best tips for driving in winter weather conditions! We hope you have enjoyed this blog. If you’ve followed all the advice in this post and still find yourself stuck in the snow, check out our post on getting unstuck here! If you enjoyed this post and want more NextHome Rocky Mountain Realty & Rentals content, like us on Facebook!