Weather Related Driving

AS SEASONS CHANGE:

• Get your car battery checked out. They typically fail after three-to-five years without advance warning. Extreme heat affects battery life. When temperatures soar, even with proper preventive maintenance, summer breakdowns are more likely to occur.
• Have a roadside rescue plan to reach professional help should it be needed.
• Replace wiper blades and refill washer fluid.
• Get your tire pressure, tread and wear checked. OR
• Check your tire pressure at least once a month, and especially before a long trip.
• Maintain the recommended pressure listed on the driver’s door jamb or the inside of the glove compartment door. Don’t forget to check the spare as well.
• Check the tread and sidewalls of your tires, watch uneven wear pattern. “Uneven” means the tire is more worn on one edge. This usually means you need a wheel alignment. Also, run your fingers along the tread and feel for lumps. The presence of lumps could mean that the tire is not balanced correctly.
• Pack a summer emergency kit with a fully-charged cell phone and charger, bottled water, non-perishable food, jumper cables, flashlight with extra batteries and an emergency beacon like a reflective triangle and reflective or light-colored hat.
• Don’t overload your vehicle. It can create excessive heat inside tires and result in pre-mature wear or, worse, blowouts.

• Stay weather aware if storms are in the forecast. Ask yourself, “Is this trip really necessary? Can it wait until the storm passes and roads are clear?”
• Thunderstorms, high winds and tropical weather systems make it extremely dangerous to navigate an automobile. Urban and small stream flooding can occur in less than one hour.
• Put your cell phone out of reach and sight or activate “Do not disturb while driving.”
• Do not attempt to drive though the water if you cannot see the road or its line markings. You will not be likely to judge the exact depth of the water or be certain that the road is intact underneath it.
• As little as six inches of water can cause you to lose control of your car and potentially stall your engine. One foot of water can move most cars off the road.
• The surface of the road is affected as it becomes slippery. Water, sand and mud can cause it to be swept away.
• If your vehicle stalls or is suddenly caught in rising water, leave it immediately and seek higher ground. If your car is swept into the water and submerged, try not to panic. Stay calm and wait for the car to fill with water. Once the car is full, you’ll be able to open a door. (The water pressure needs to be equalized between the outside and inside of the car for the door to open.) Hold your breath and swim to the surface.
• If caught in high winds and/or a tornado, exit to a nearby building or home, and take shelter.
• Do not stop underneath overpasses in heavy storms as congestion can result in serious crashes.

AS SEASONS CHANGE:

• Get your car battery checked out. They typically fail after three-to-five years without advance warning. Extreme cold affects battery life.
• Make certain tires are properly inflated, maintaining the recommended pressure listed on the door frame on the driver’s side. Don’t forget to check the spare as well.
• Never mix radial tires with other tire types.
• Have a roadside rescue plan to reach professional help should it be needed.
• Pack a winter emergency survival kit with a cell phone and charger, lightly colored or reflective hat and jacket, blankets, flashlight, ice scraper, small amount of abrasive material, such as sand or cat litter; roll of paper towels, small shovel, can of de-icer and a warning device like a reflective triangle.

• Ask yourself, “Is this trip really necessary? Can it wait until the storm passes and roads are cleared?”
• Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage. Most vehicle engines don’t need to warm up.
• Activate emergency breaking and other automated safety features on the vehicle.
• Keep gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.
• Remove ice and/or snow from all vehicle windows.
• Buckle up. Your seatbelt is critically important.
  • If possible, avoid using parking brake in cold, rainy and snowy weather.
  • Be mentally prepared, allowing extra time to travel at a slower, intently-focused pace.
  • Put your cell phone out of reach and sight or activate “Do not disturb while driving.”

• Slow down. Adjust your speed to the road conditions, and leave ample distance to stop. Accelerate, turn and brake gradually.
• Switch headlights on low beam to avoid glare and to ensure that taillights are on.
• Do not tailgate. Allow at least three times more space than usual from the car in front of you - a minimum of five to six seconds when driving on slippery surfaces. You’ll need it to brake if a sudden stop is necessary.
• Never use cruise control on slippery roads. Stay in full control of the vehicle.
• Avoid unnecessary lane changes. Avoid the chance of hitting a patch of ice between lanes that could cause loss of vehicle traction.
• Minimize the need to brake on ice. If you’re approaching a stop sign, traffic light or other area where ice often forms, brake early on clear pavement to reduce speed. Vehicle control is much more difficult when braking on ice-covered roadways.
• Look ahead and pay particular attention to "hot spots": bridges, culverts, on and off ramps and elevated highways. Be alert for "Black Ice."
• If you find yourself beginning to skid, ease up on the accelerator, keep a firm grip on the wheel, and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go.