Driving Tips when Navigating Through Snowy, Icy, or Foggy Streets
Manoeuvring your car in winter can be dangerous since the wet weather tends to make the roads slippery and hazy. Although it would be good idea to simply stay at home in order to avoid unfortunate circumstances, this does not apply most of the time. This is especially true if you run out of food supplies. Apart from this, you also have to shop for Christmas gifts and other essential items for the season.
Well, rather holing up inside your home during the cold months, head out to your planned destinations instead. But before you drive over to a certain place, carry out some precautionary procedures in order to minimise the risk of mishaps, if not prevent it entirely.
So, as the last days of autumn fade and the wind starts to get a little nippy, attend first to the preparations below.
- Ensure that your tyres have the legal tread depth. The minimum is 1.6 millimetres but since you need to drive through icy or snowy streets, you must have at least 6 mm.
- Check the auto headlights. Make sure that each one is working just fine if you do not want to end up driving blindly during foggy or cloudy days.
- Inspect the battery. It has to be in good condition by being fully charged. This way, your car does not stall in the middle of the road.
- Fill up the reservoir of your windscreen washer with a non-freezing and high-quality concentrate. The recommended mixture is a proportion of 50:50 water and distillate.
- Take your vehicle to the repair shop if its maintenance schedule is due. The automotive technician knows which steps to take in order to prepare your ride for the long wintry months. Additionally, he is capable of patching up minor and major flaws.
- Make sure that your windscreen wipers are functioning well. You require these small components to clear up the foggy windows.
- There is more than enough fuel in your tank. Most of the time, the winter climate tends to cause delays. It can be an unpleasant (or even dangerous) circumstance to run out of petrol while in the middle of the traffic during low temperatures.
- Switch on your car radio and listen to weather news updates. This is important, especially if the condition starts to get bad.
- Handle the steering wheel slowly and progressively. Never turn it sharply since doing this can cause you to lose control of your automobile.
- Avoid high speed and sudden braking. As much as possible, utilise your engine brake by shifting into lower gears.
As the chilly season progresses, you have to guarantee the following.
When the snow-covered street makes driving impossible, you can observe the tips below.
Although the recommendations above are quite many, your winter-driving measures are not limited to these. Of course, you have a wonderful alternative form of public transportation if you wish to be a part of the festive season without having to drive. Find out how by browsing through this website for information.