Winter is a common time for treacherous road conditions - ice, slush, snow, and glare can all be contributing factors that influence accidents. But you can keep yourself and your car safe this winter by being prepared and cautious. Here are seven tips for driving safe this winter.
Get Your Vehicle Inspected
Wintertime driving is very different than driving during the rest of the year. Your car needs to be equipped for extreme conditions and checked over to ensure it will perform optimally on the road. Your local auto body or dealership can give your car a full winter maintenance inspection and add winter tires for better traction.
Pack an Emergency Kit
You need to be prepared for anything in the winter – that’s why it’s important to pack an emergency supply kit. Your trunk should always have a spare tire available, along with extra washer fluid, warm clothes and blankets, jumper cables, flashlights, a shovel, a bag of sand, and some snacks.
Check the Road Conditions
Always plan ahead before you venture out in the winter. This includes listening to the news for recent street closures or accidents and checking detour options online. Arriving safe should be your number one priority, so if the roads are too dangerous, wait until conditions improve before carrying on.
Slow Down
You can easily lose control when you’re going too fast. So it’s best to drive slowly and steadily through sub-zero conditions. If your vehicle ever loses traction, take your foot off the gas and focus on the direction you want the car to go. It’s impossible for you to direct the car in a direction other than the one you are looking at.
Give Two Car Spaces
To avoid a collision or fender bender, you need adequate space between you and the cars around you. This will ensure that if someone suddenly breaks, there’s enough room to react. And if you find that someone is trailing closely behind you, move to another lane and allow them to pass safely.
Stop Sooner
If you’re approaching a stop sign or traffic lights, start slowing down much sooner than you would in normal conditions. If you apply your brakes too sharply, you could risk skidding out of control and right into traffic. The sooner you start breaking, the more control you ultimately have.
Update Your Insurance
There is no better time to check your insurance policy than now. Make sure it’s valid and gives you adequate winter coverage, so if an accident does happen you are protected. Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of driving without insurance or with an expired card – it can result in hefty fines and penalties.
When you want the best in winter coverage, you need Rowat Insurance. Our insurance brokerage has been serving happy customers from Ontario and Quebec for over 50 years. Let us help you find the right coverage for you and your family. Call us today or go online for a free quote!