mysteriousmichaellee's Blog

Well, winter is here, at last. Snow, although early, is here.

But with all that pretty snow, there comes the toll from accidents on the road.

Traveling too fast, improper following distance, and not paying attention to the road is the total problem that causes these preventable crashes.

Yes, driving unsafe on slick, wet roads and having an accident, is a preventable affair. So, what can you do to drive safe in the winter? Well check this out....

First off, lets talk about speed. Slow down! Slow down! Slow down! driving the speed limit on wet, slick roads is just silly. When you drive too fast, you risk having an accident, that could have been avoidable. See, tires, work on the concept of traction. There are 3 types of traction..static,100%,rolling, 50-35%, and wet which can range anywhere from 15% to none. Tire tread depth plays into this too, so make sure that your tires have more thread than a tenth of a penny deep.

Visibility is degraded when its snowing. So, why would you want to drive fast, especially when you cannot see?

Skid avoidance...traveling distance and speed plays into how you can control your car during a skid. Break pressure can also be a huge factor during or before a skid. Avoid panic stops when you have to stop. This locks the axles up on your car(even with ABS..ABS fails sometimes), and makes steering very hard. Tap your breaks, if you have to. Repeated tapping, enables the wheels to maintain rolling motion, keeping you in traction with the driving surface, and in control of your car.

Take care of your vehicle. Replace your windshield wipers, and check your coolant, and oil levels. And if driving a diesel engine equipped vehicle, make sure you use #2 diesel, blended with either #1 type diesel, or a fuel additive that prevents fuel filter clogging. See, Diesel jells up when tempatures drop below 29 degrees.

Well, I hope these few tips can help someone avoid what I like to call, epic stupidity, and getting in an accident that could have been avoided.

Always remember...What speed id too fast when driving on slick roads? Just a half a mile per hour can be too fast, and the safest place to be, is in your driveway, keys in the house, and you taking the bus to where ever you have to go.