It’s here… the snow we knew was coming is here. It’s on the ground, as I write this it’s falling, and it’s supposed to be piling up all the way through next week. But hey, we’re Ohioans! We know how this goes. We know to dress in layers, wear socks (why just ONE pair? Go big! Two pair!), and clunky boots. We know mittens and scarves are necessaries, and that hats can be stylish… or not, it’s up to you!
Driving in the snow, however, is something that we likely don’t do enough of to get to be experts, even though it’s probably not ‘new’ to you. It never hurts to be reminded. These tips are from the AAA Auto Club:
- Accelerate and decelerate slowly. …
- Drive slowly. …
- The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. …
- Know your brakes. …
- Don’t stop if you can avoid it. …
- Don’t power up hills. …
- Don’t stop going up a hill. …
- Stay home.
Slow/steady driving is the key! Your car can not stop quickly on the snow… no matter what kind of tires you have, how new your brakes are, or how skilled you are. Inertia beats all when there is snow on the ground. Go slow. Give yourself more time to get places. Put some relaxing music on in your car, dream of St. Thomas…. Whatever it takes to be okay with spending more time on the road.
Also, be mindful of what you’re in for. You know where the curves are that you drive every day and where there are big, flat fields on both sides of a road. Those fields are going to have snow blowing across them, across the road, and I can almost guarantee some of it will freeze. Even if the rest of the roads are clear, those parts will be tricky.
The things WE can do to help are making sure your wipers work, your heater/defrost works, your brakes look good and your steering/suspension is good. The best preventative medicine, however, is to be careful, and take your time.
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