Posts tagged: winter driving

Suggestions for driving safely in winter weather

By , February 10, 2011

Wintertime stands out as the time of year during which car accidents grow to be very prevalent. It is important for motorists to realize the fact that they will have to drive in a different way as a way to remain safe within these weather conditions. There are actually numerous things a driver is able to use to enhance their well-being.  People who adhere to the advice detailed below will probably be significantly less prone to encounter a vehicle accident or personal injury if the road conditions are really less than ideal.

- Slow down. This may be evident, nevertheless a number of individuals who quite frankly really don’t impliment this. The length of space in between you and the next vehicle should be approximately 3 times what it could possibly be under ordinary traveling conditions. The most critical idea will be to leave sufficient time for you to slow down or drive around a vehicle accident in the event that one takes place.

- Stay away from cruise control and also overdrive while you are on an freezing road.

- Do not brake too hard. The tires can start to slip when you push on the brakes too much, meaning that you won’t always be in control of the direction of your vehicle when you steer. If your car or truck begins to slip, ease off of the foot brake.

- In the event the front tires skid, take your foot from the gas and shift straight into neutral. Let the vehicle drift until traction comes back, and then steer in the path you need to travel.

- In the event the rear tires slice, let go of the gas pedal, drive into the direction you need the front wheels to move. You might need to steer back and forth. Without having anti lock brakes, pump the brakes. Should you have anti lock brakes, utilize gradual pressure.

- Do not pull ahead of snow plows or sanding trucks. They may have difficulties seeing you, as well as the path before them will probably be even worse than the road behind them.

- Your headlights will have to be switched on in order for you to become more apparent for the various other motorists, even in the event it is not necessarily dark. Make sure that the lights and windows are clean in an effort to boost visibility equally to aid you plus the other motorists.

- Keep the car or truck in lower gears than usual. This boosts traction force. It is actually particularly essential when you are driving on a hillside, whether up or down.

- Bridges, overpasses, and roadways that are not really used regularly could be the earliest to freeze. If the temperature is cold, expect that there is ice on these roadways. This might be true even if the average temperature is over freezing as a result of wind chill or shadows.

These tips are true for individual motorists as well as commercial trucking jobs and trucking companies.  Stay safe this winter season.

Winter season Accident Protection

By , February 8, 2011

In the winter months, driving weather conditions could be very dangerous on occasion. Motorists must be completely ready for just about any and just about every eventuality as a result of freezing weather and shorter daylight hours during these months. The month of january has been shown by scientific studies to be the most difficult period of the year for traveling, as motor vehicle operators are basically 2 times as probable to be implicated in an automobile accident during this calendar month of the year.

In fact the 18th and 28th usually are a pair of of the leading 5 most severe days for accidents all year. This is often resulting from bad weather factors, high quantities of rush hour traffic, and the amount of visibility. Studies have demostrated that approximately 60% of motorists have not been on time to his or her work caused by weather conditions, with almost 40% of which as a result of accidents on the way.

There are some great tips and hints which will help keep drivers safer from traffic accidents for the duration of the winter months. It’s really a good idea to protect the no claim discount in an auto insurance policy. Any additional cost of the coverage is definitely worth the expense, seeing that from time to time traffic accidents are inescapable as a consequence of bad weather factors. It’s imperative to be sure you drive only as fast as weather conditions safely allow. Whenever driving a car in any kind of traffic, make certain that there is plenty of room between automobiles, refrain from jamming on the brakes, and should a skid should occur, turn into it without applying the brakes.

Whenever the car windows are being defrosted, it is very important to not leave the car or truck unattended as burglars might take this opportunity to grab the automobile, which also means the insurance policy will likely not take care of the loss as a consequence of negligence.

Be sure that any of the drivers on the insurance policy can properly drive in bad or icy road conditions. A recently licensed person might not have the confidence of experience to drive the roads if conditions are difficult.. It’s very important to check this by making sure an knowledgeable driver is accompanying the beginner. This will assure that the no claim discount is not impacted.

Another feasible possibility is public transit, since it most likely is not worth the danger to be behind the wheel. People with an older car might find this to be a terrific option if his or her vehicle isn’t going to run very well throughout the winter months.

Motor vehicle insurance is essential regularly, so it’s practical to save cash on this basic need. Buying on the internet can conserve time and effort since companies will compete for an insurance quote. You will find discount rates for insurance plan protection.

These tips are a courtesy of Truck Driving Jobs.  Looking to drive commercially?  Attend a local truck driving school today.

7 Tips for Safe Winter Driving

By , January 31, 2010

Winter is here and where I live, in Finland, we have just had our first snow with many drivers on slippery roads on plain summer tires.

I was doing a 60 mile trip yesterday, mostly on smaller rural roads where the snow is not spoiled by salt and heavy traffic, and I though to myself:

It’s not really dangerous or difficult to drive on slippery roads as long as you know what to do and when, you just have to adopt a different style of driving and you’ll be as safe as on dry summer roads. The danger is if you apply a summer driving style to winter roads.

Rule #1: Slow Down

Don’t expect to reach the same speeds on a winter road as you do in the summer. Always plan for lower speeds and longer travel times.

Rule #2: Be Really Soft on The Pedals

To keep your car on the road you need grip. When the tires have grip they roll at the speed you’re travelling and the car will go where you point the front wheels.

When you break or accelerate too much the wheels will lock and lose all grip.

This turns your car into an object sliding in stead of rolling on the ice, you will have no control over it and it will go straight forward, or if the road is slanted it will slide off the road.

Accelerate and break like you had an egg under the pedal, really softly, and you’ll have a lot more grip to play with.

Rule #3: Keep Your Distance and Slow Down in Time

One of the most common accidents at winter is to drive into the car in front of you when it’s breaking and you notice too late.

The only way to avoid these accidents is to keep a good distance of 100-600 feet to the car in front of you. If the car in front of you slows down, you should slow down in time so you can keep the distance.

Always slow down when you come to a crossing, even if you don’t see any other cars near. This way if there’s a surprise you will still be able to stop.

Rule #4: Break Safely

If you find yourself sliding for a ditch or for an obstacle while breaking your best bet is usually to release the breaks for a second or two to steer in a new direction, then continue breaking.

Sometimes the only way to avoid a accident is to not break at all and instead steer clear of the obstacle. This method do require some practise though as the instinct is to push the break pedal as hard as you can.

If your car is equipped with automatic breaking system (ABS) it’s often better to just break and let the car maintain control. But if it’s really slippery even your ABS might lose control and in that case do as above, stop breaking for a second or two and then when you’re in control try breaking again. Read more about the ABS system in your cars users guide.

Rule #5: Accelerate Safely

You car can either steer or accelerate. On dry roads there is enough grip to both steer and accelerate at the same time, but not on snow and ice.

Never accelerate when you drive through a bend, you need your grip to handle the turning. If you need to accelerate and the bend is light you can do it slowly, but if you lose grip stop the acceleration.

When accelerating too aggressively a rear wheel drive car will lose grip at the read with the risk of spinning around while a front wheel drive car will lose grip in front and unable to turn it will go straight where it’s heading.

You’re car might have a traction control system (TCS) that will make sure you don’t lose grip while accelerating. Read the cars manuals to find out how the TCS works on your vehicle.

Rule #6: Use Good Snow Tires

If you have snow and ice for over a month during winter, consider getting good snow tires. They will shorten your breaking distance and help you keep control of the car on slippery surfaces.

You may also want to check your local laws and regulations in case snow tires are mandatory, and if snow tires with studs are allowed or not.

Rule #7: Practice and Learn

The best way to learn winter driving is to find a safe place where you can practise breaking and sliding! Actually trying out how quickly you can stop your vehicle will prepare you for an emergency and give you the gut feeling on how fast you can safely drive on a snow road.

You can find more tips for safe and fuel efficient driving at the fuel economy tips blog at MilesGallon.com

 

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