Tips to Drive Safely in the Snow

Yesterday, Pennsylvania woke up to our first snowfall of the season. Though we have had some flurries, the snow was actually on the ground this morning. My children were tickled, and they went outside to play in the snow before they had to go to school. 

That being said, there wasn't enough snow to stop anything. School and work were still open, meaning people had to travel safely in the snow. And we all know how hard it is to get used to driving in the snow every year! 

Here are some tips to get where you need to go safely. 

Give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go. Snowy weather conditions are not the time to be racing to get to work. Instead, you should try to give yourself an extra half an hour or so (depending on your trip) so that you can take your time to get there.

You should also plan ahead. Lucky for you, you probably know where you are going when you are driving in slick conditions. You know where the sharp turns are so that you can slow down before you reach them. You are also going to know where the trouble spots are, so that you can avoid them. You may even know where it is going to be hard to stop (at the bottom of hills), so that you can give yourself plenty of time to slow down. 

No matter how long you have been driving, it is always a good idea to check your traction. When you first get out on the road, you probably tap your brakes gently to see what the road feels like. You will be able to tell if you can easily stop or if you need to use extra caution. However, as the route changes, you should check the traction a few times to make sure that you know how the road conditions are at all times.

Drive as smoothly as possible. When driving in the snow, you need to drive smoothly. This means that you accelerate slowly, turn gently, and take your time slowing down. If you jerk the wheel, you could easily lose control of your car. If you slam the breaks, there is a good chance that your car will skid somewhere that you don't want it to. 

Because of this, you need to keep your eyes up ahead. Since you need more time to slow down and turn, you need to see what is going on in front of you. If you notice brake lights ahead, you should start slowing down now, not just when you get close to them. 

It may also help to look where you want to go. If your car does start to skid, you should look where you want to go, not where your car is actually going. This will help you to make the little corrections needed to move your car where you want it to go. 

Never hit the brakes if you lose control of your vehicle. If your car starts skidding, the normal reaction is to slam the brakes! However, that will only make things worse. Instead, take a breath and let off the gas pedal. This should help you slow down, while giving you a chance to get your car back under control. 

Make sure that your car is ready for winter driving. Before winter even hits, you need to make sure that your car is ready for it. The best thing that you can do is make sure that you have good winter tires. This is the best way to ensure that you have as much traction as possible in bad weather. 

Carry some supplies with you. You should never leave home without proper supplies, including a snow shovel, a bag of salt, and a tow strap. Making sure that you have plenty of gas is also necessary. You don't want to get stuck on the side of the road, and run out of gas. You should always have a fully charged cell phone too, so that you can call for help.

Driving in snow can be terrifying, especially the first time of the year. For this reason, you need to give yourself plenty of time. It is going to take longer to accelerate, turn, and slow down, so you always need to keep an eye out for what is going on ahead of you. Good tires will always help, and you should carry a few supplies with you, just in case.

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Previously published on Medium and/or Newsbreak.