The holidays are over, but the snowy road conditions will be around for many of us for a couple more months.  Start the New Year with a quick refresher on safe driving in bad road conditions.  We’ve compiled a list here of a few tips to stay calm and safe if you must drive in the worst of conditions.

Drive slowly

This will give you more time to react to icy patches and avoid accidents.  If you are fishtailing or sliding it usually means you are going too fast.

Know your brakes

Understanding how your car, and brakes specifically, react to ice and snow is imperative to your safety.  Find an empty parking lot to test them out.

If you are sliding, calmly turn your car wheels in the opposite direction.

Avoid overcorrecting by not jerking the wheel

Avoid driving in bad conditions if at all possible

Always wear your seatbelt

We hope you find these tips useful and that you stay safe on the roads this winter. Comment below with anything you would add to our list!

Winter brings a whole new set of challenges when it comes to driving safety.  Let’s take a moment to review some extra precautions we should take when driving in the winter season, and some tips for prepping your vehicle to hold its own in the icy, snowy conditions.

There are a few things to look out for while on the road in snowy conditions.  Know what to do when your vehicle encounters ice, as it may vary vehicle to vehicle.  If you see cars swerving in front of you, slow down and consider an alternative route, if possible.  When on the highway in low visibility situations, leave twice as much room as normal between you and the driver ahead of you and make sure to not exceed the speed limit.

To prep your vehicle for the winter ahead, do a scan of the following key areas to make sure you won’t be left in the cold.  Tires loose air pressure in the cold, so double check your levels and check back often to ensure your tires are properly filled.  Double check your wiper blades, if they produce streaks or leave large areas unclean, consider a replacement for winter.  Speaking of visibility, give your defroster a test run.  If it is not working properly take it to a shop for repair, as this is one of the most commonly used features during the cold months to ensure visibility. Lastly, top off all fluids. It is likely you will use quite a bit more windshield washer fluid due to the salt on the roads and snowy weather.

If your vehicle is in need of repair to make it safe to drive in the winter, search on Carwise to find a body shop near you.