How to Prepare Yourself for Driving in Nasty Winter Weather

How to Prepare Yourself for Driving in Nasty Winter Weather

Driving during winter seldom makes for a fun road trip, but for many of us, it’s a necessity. But just because we must sometimes drive in these conditions doesn’t mean we can’t prepare ourselves for it.

Here are a few ways you can prepare yourself for driving in nasty winter weather.

1.  Prep Your Vehicle

Battery checkup

Before your wheels even hit the road, your vehicle must be prepped for the weather conditions. This means getting your battery tested before the temperature drops too low, having your tire pressure checked as well as the tread degradation on them, replacing wiper blades if necessary,  keeping your gas tank at least half full to avoid the line freezing or being stranded in freezing weather if you were to run out, and more.

It’s equally as important to make sure the inside of your vehicle is prepped with helpful equipment, such as ice-scrapers for the windows, mirrors, and your backup camera, along with sand or cat-litter to give your tires a bit of traction if you happen to get stuck.

2.  Be Cautious of Road Conditions

Even with your vehicle prepped for the road, you’ll likely encounter occasional hurdles to overcome, which is why you need to be cautious once you get behind the wheel. Your main goal when driving in bad weather is to keep yourself and the people around you safe. You can do this by keeping both hands on the wheel and avoiding cruise control in case you hit a slippery patch, as well as avoiding distractions like your phone or digging through the glove box.

It’s also a good rule of thumb to stay in line with the paths other cars have created in order to retain the best traction. Be sure to accelerate and brake slowly so that you do not slide or spin your tires, maintain a safe distance from cars in front of you, and break early to alert the cars behind you, too.

3.  Know Your Vehice

SUV 4x4 on a snowy day, illuminated headlight, close up with limited dof and copyspace

Prepping your vehicle for an icy road is a good start to driving safe in nasty winter weather, but that doesn’t mean it’s invincible to bad conditions. Even with cautious driving, some vehicles are bound to fair better in snow and ice than others, so knowing your vehicle and being able to discern what it is capable of and when to take a different approach is crucial.

For instance, if you drive a sportier car such as a Mustang that might not have as much traction as certain SUVs while driving in icy conditions, you will be able to tell when the road is simply too dangerous for your vehicle to maneuver. If something feels wrong behind the wheel when you’re trying to drive, as though you don’t quite have control, it’s not safe to drive.

Know your vehicle and keep yourself, as well as other drivers, safe.

Drive Safe

By preparing yourself for unwanted winter weather, you can ensure that you and others around you are as safe as possible when you get on the road.

Regardless of if you need to go to a doctor’s appointment, get groceries from the store, or get parts for remodeling your bathroom—like those at Capitol Kitchen & Bath—staying safe while driving during winter isn’t just important, it’s a necessity.

Article Submitted By Community Writer

Today's Top Articles:

Scroll to Top