Safety Precautions to Keep You Safe on Icy Roads
Every year, videos are posted online that show vehicles slipping and sliding across the ice, their drivers having lost complete control over their motor vehicles. While these may be funny to watch at first, the injuries that can occur during such an incident are clearly a concern for all drivers.
Traveling on icy roads is often unavoidable, though, and it’s something that Coloradans must deal with every single year. We want your new year and winter to go off without a hitch, and definitely without any accidents or injuries, so we’ve compiled a few tips that will help you stay safe while driving on the ice.
Stay Home Whenever Possible
If there’s one way to avoid traffic accidents regardless of the weather outside, it’s simply by staying home. Although this may be a little difficult when driving is a necessity, avoiding the roads when all you really want to do is run up and grab some late night fast food is probably a good idea.
Reduce Your Speed
Even when there’s ice on the road, people always seem to be in a hurry because of tightly scheduled appointments, visiting friends and family, or getting home from work so they can relax. We suggest that you cool your jets a bit and ease off the accelerator to help you maintain better control of your automobile.
Avoid Slamming on Your Brakes
Although modern vehicles all come equipped with an ABS (anti-lock brake system), this won’t always protect you from icy roads. Hitting your brakes too quickly and too hard while on the ice has a tendency to send you into a slide, which can end with tragic results.
Turn into a Slide
Speaking of a slide, if you find that your car gets into one while you’re out of the slippery roads, be sure to turn into it, not away from it. While this they seem counterintuitive, it is the correct way to maintain better control of your vehicle in this type of situation.
Keep Away From Inclines
When your car is on an incline, whether you’re going up or down, there is an increased likelihood of your automobile sliding across the ice uncontrollably. If at all possible, avoid any hills or mountain driving when roads are icy, especially when the incline is steep because gravity can quickly become your worst enemy.
Wear Seat Belts
Even when you’ve taken the precautions to keep yourself safe, it’s possible that you will be involved in an accident because of another driver’s carelessness, regardless of whether there’s ice on the road or not. But since vehicles sliding across the ice can increase the possibility that you will be hit from multiple sides at any time, make sure that every person in your automobile is wearing his or her seat belt.
Equip Your Vehicle’s Tires
If you reside in a particularly snowy area or plan to visit such a location over the holidays, you may want to equip your tires with chains or other traction control assisting devices whenever it’s appropriate. The better traction will considerably improve your chances of avoiding an accident in such a harsh environment.
Don’t Stop for Stranded Vehicles
It’s a really great feeling when you want to be a Good Samaritan and pull over to help someone on the side of the road in need. But every extra vehicle on the roadway, even when it’s sitting on the side, increases the likelihood of an accident from passing traffic. Instead, let the proper authorities and maintenance vehicles tend to a stranded automobile.
If you follow the tips above, you lower your chances of getting into an automobile accident while driving on icy roads. If you do have any kind of accident, however, be sure to reach out to the experts at Mintz Law Firm for a free consultation.