Stay Safe! Advocate’s Top Tips For Driving In The Snow

2022-12-27
By: Advocate Brokerage

When there is snow in the forecast, you want to be sure that you do all you can to keep yourself and your family safe. We thought it might be helpful to provide a few of our favorite tips for keeping safe when you must be driving on snowy roads.

• Allow for plenty of time. The best advice we can give is that when there is snow on the ground to DRIVE SLOW. You don’t need to add the stress of arriving late to your trip.
• Keep plenty of room between you and the car ahead of you. A vehicle is much harder to control when the road is slick and covered in snow.
• Always stay alert, keeping an eye on other drivers. Continually scan your mirrors and blind spots. Avoid anyone who looks like they might be driving erratically.
• Always turn on your headlights and if the snowfall is heavy, consider driving with your hazards on so that other vehicles will know you are there.
• If you start to skid or slide, do your best not to panic. Steer in the direction you are headed, don’t take your hands off the steering wheel, and do not slam on the brakes!
• When you are headed up a hill, don’t over-accelerate. That only makes your tires spin faster which can cause you to lose traction and slip. It is also important that you avoid using your brakes when going up a hill because you may have an issue getting started again without backsliding. Instead, hold your foot steadily on the gas pedal, and if you feel your wheels spinning just slowly ease up your foot.

Make sure you have the following items in your vehicle in case you get stuck:

•  Windshield scraper with a broom attachment
•  Shovel
•  Salt, sand, or cat litter
•  Flashlight with an extra battery
•  Bottles of water & snacks
•  A first-aid kid
•  Blankets & sleeping bags
•  Extra hats, socks & gloves
•  Get your car ready for the winter season.
•  Fluorescents destress flags or flares or a whistle to attract attention

We know you have places to be, but if you can stay home during a snowstorm, we encourage you to do so! We hope that you found our tips for driving safely in the snow helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at 914-723-7100. We are always happy to speak with you!