Five Winter Driving Tips

Driving in the snow can be stressful for anyone, even for people who deal with it every winter. No matter the vehicle you drive, you’re not guaranteed safety when it comes to the mean conditions of the winter. We want everyone to be safe this winter, so we’ve put together a quick list of tips to keep you and your family safe when those roads get covered in snow and ice.

1. Have all vehicle maintenance handled

The two most important things you have situated are your tires and brakes. These two items are critical to your ability to stop and accelerate when things get slippery. Be sure you don’t make any sort of trek without enough traction on your wheels. There are many other things under the hood that can ultimately leave your car shutdown on the side of the road, so a visit to your local service department could save you a lot of time.

2. Four-wheel drive does not make you invincible

While it is extremely beneficial to have a vehicle with four-wheel drive in the winter, many people run into the mistake of believing they can conquer anything with this feature. Four-wheel drive is designed to help you accelerate on roads with wet conditions, while not having your vehicle slip and slide. It does not, however, help you to stop on a dime.

3. Give the cars in front of you plenty of room

While you should always give the car in front of you on the road plenty of room, in winter conditions you should give even more space. You never know when that person is going to come to an abrupt stop, and since it’s harder to stop on snow-covered roads, you want to be sure that you have adequate room to stop.

4. Always look ahead

Watch far ahead for stoplights, brake lights, and sharp turns, among other obstacles that will require you to stop. It takes more time to bring your vehicle to a halt on snow-covered or icy roads, so be sure to give your vehicle plenty of time to slow down.

5. Do not slam on the brakes

When your car begins to lose traction, you might instantly think to slam on your brakes. This is the last thing you should do! It will take away all of your traction, leaving you with no ability to control your vehicle. Instead, you should brake with even, steady steps on the brakes. Do not brake when entering a turn.

We want everyone to be safe this winter season while driving around. Be sure to be a smart driver, as well as have your vehicle maintenance up to date. Schedule your service appoint here!