10 Tips to Avoid a Car Wreck This Winter

Winter is here in the South, and that means a lot of drivers are driving in unfamiliar conditions. Winter weather is a hazard in the South that causes numerous car wrecks each season. Snow, ice, and dark conditions can make driving particularly treacherous.

Drivers in the Metro Atlanta area don’t have a lot of experience driving in snow and ice. While our road crews do their best to prepare for wintry conditions, ice and snow create slushy conditions on many major roadways. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to stay safe when driving this winter.

10 Tips to Avoid a Car Wreck This Winter

Check out these winter driving tips from a Douglasville car wreck lawyer. Whether you are driving in snow, ice, sleet, or rainy conditions, these tips could help you avoid a costly accident.

1. Check Your Vehicle: Before traveling through icy or snowy weather, make sure you check your vehicle thoroughly. Check your brakes, filters and fluids, wipers, headlights, and make sure the heater is working properly.
2. Stay Home: If the weather gets bad, your local authorities may advise you to stay home unless you absolutely have to go out. Staying home is the single best way to avoid a potential car wreck.
3. Pack an Emergency Kit: If you must travel during winter weather, pack an emergency kit in your vehicle before you head out. Recommended items include a snow scraper, abrasive materials, jumper cables, flashlight, road flares, blankets, first aid kit, water, and snacks. Many injuries happen when a driver is stranded and leaves their vehicle. Avoid this by preparing in advance.
4. Drive Slowly: If you must venture out, drive slowly. Even slower than you normally would in bad weather. Ice and snow cause lower traction and make it harder to control your vehicle.
5. Allow Plenty of Room: Allow plenty of room between you and other vehicles. It takes longer to slow down or stop in icy conditions.
6. Don’t Brake Hard: Be aware of how your brakes respond to your foot on the pedal. Avoid braking hard if at all possible, to avoid skidding and sliding.
7. Don’t Accelerate Up Hills: When you push the gas to go up hill, snow and ice will make your wheels spin and your vehicle is likely to slide backward. Try to build up some speed before the hill so the vehicle glides smoothly to the top. Make sure you reduce your speed once you start going down the other side.
8. Don’t Stop on Hills: If you stop while going uphill, you could find your vehicle won’t make it the rest of the way. Ice and snow could cause your wheels to spin or you could start sliding.
9. Don’t Use Cruise Control: Cruise control is not recommended on wet or slippery surfaces. It can cause you to lose traction and skid or spin.
10. Steer Into the Skid: If you start to skid, steer in the same direction as the skid so that when you regain traction, you won’t have to overcorrect.

No matter where you are traveling to this winter, be cautious about the potential for wintry weather. Rain, freezing temperatures, snow, and ice can all create serious travel hazards. Do your best to avoid a car wreck by considering the tips discussed above.