Avoiding The Winter Driving Pandemic

It is that time of the year with the first snowfall of the season that the untrained winter driver pandemic returns. The snowfall driving disorder happens because many drivers are ill-prepared for the changed road conditions. There is a large majority of drivers who have no training in negotiating roads in slippery conditions which causes hundreds of accidents. There is a need for winter driving training required for driving in northern climates.

While the law is slow to change with only minimal progress to making alterations to the traffic laws after a major traffic catastrophe it is imperative that drivers take the incentive to learn the skill-sets they are missing so they can drive safely and with confidence. All drivers should review their driving techniques and eliminate their bad driving habits. Too many drivers turn and signal improperly, or/and do not move with the flow of traffic. Winter driving would be less hazardous if it was predictable what the other drivers are doing because everyone was following the rules.  

For those drivers that need to take training for winter driving, many driving schools can provide it, one only needs to search the internet. You could also self-train in controlled conditions. When I first started to drive, I would find a nice large slippery area with no obstacles, like an empty parking lot, and practiced maneuvering skidding. The experience I acquired then has helped me many times to preventing skidding out of control and avoiding a traffic incident.

We all can have a safer winter driving experience if we all follow the same rules correctly and adjust our driving to the slippery conditions. Since it takes twice the distance to stop in icy conditions, you should keep a greater distance between vehicles. If a situation occurs -Don’t Panic! Keep your foot off the brakes and accelerator and don’t fight the way the car is going. When in a skid turn the wheels slowly towards the way the back of the vehicle is skidding without over-steering. If breaking is required, do as little as possible.

Also, don’t forget to have your car prepared for winter driving. Get snow tires which give you better control in the colder conditions. Make sure that your battery and antifreeze are checked. After a snowfall, make sure that you remove all the snow from your vehicle, especially the ice from the windows for better visibility. There are too many lazy drivers that leave the snow to blow off and cause visibility and hazard issues.

Drive safe this winter by making sure that you can handle an awkward winter road condition. Make sure you get the training required for those driving situations that give you problems so you won’t become one of or is the cause of the statics.