As the temperature drops, roads get icier and much more dangerous. In this blog entry, Towing Chicago’s Chicagoland vehicle recovery experts will provide some useful and essential tips for safe driving in the Winter season.
Be prepared for winter driving.
Before you take a trip in the winter, make sure to be prepared. Be aware of traffic and weather patterns before you start driving. Make sure that your car’s hardware including brakes and tires are up to par for winter driving. Install snow tires or all weather tires on your vehicle with deep tread that can cut through the snow and offer a good amount of traction. When you drive during the winter, drive as slowly as possible and if you’re braking brake as slowly as possible. Snowy, wet or icy roads have low levels of friction, so it causes tires to take more time to grip the road or even speed up or change direction.
Never suddenly break during winter driving.
Use all accelerators and brakes in a very smooth and firm fashion. Alternate and stopping should take much longer than usual if you’re driving during the winter. Keep in mind that you might be able to break with 150 feet of distance during summer months in a safe fashion. But in the snow, this same braking might require 500, 1000, or even more feet in order to brake safely.
Checking tires, windshield wipers and washing liquid.
Keep in mind that average tire pressure can drop up to two PSI usually with every drop in temperature of 10 degrees. Make sure to check your vehicle’s tire pressure before you begin winter driving.
Tire grip, which provides what’s called the coefficient of friction, is usually considered level 1 on a dry road, but becomes a .15 five on snowy roads. Essentially this means that there’s almost no friction with your tires on snowy roads. If you’re driving in the snow or during a time of day whether you believe it might snow soon during your trip, use snow tires, chains or snow socks on your vehicle in order to provide a good amount of grip.
Properly operated windshield wipers provide clear vision during driving so it’s essential that they’re in adequate and ideally good condition. During snowy or rainy conditions, make sure to turn off automatic windshield wiper control before you begin your car, as it can potentially drain the fuse of the windshield wiper if windshield wipers are frozen to the screen during icy or snowy weather.
Make sure that your car is equipped with good quality screenwash solution, especially in cold weather when water can freeze and cause windshield wipers to function in a strange matter. Purchase good quality screen washing solution to prevent this
What to pack for ultimate preparation
Driving in windy, rainy, icy or snowy weather conditions can be very dangerous for you, any of your passengers and anyone on the road around you. It’s smartest to be prepared for any eventuality with a selection of equipment that can help make you much safer when you’re driving, or could potentially come in handy or even save your life during unfavorable driving circumstances.
This equipment includes warning signs, a bright high visibility vest, jumper cables, car battery kits, torches, batteries, some dry food or energy bars, bottled water, warm clothes, a blanket, first aid kits, a piece of carpet, and a spade that can provide traction to tires, an automatic phone charger or battery. And importantly, the contact information for a trusted Emergency Towing, car breakdown or roadside assistance service, like Towing Chicago.
Contact Towing Chicago today for instant and rapid arrival directly at your location – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Towing Chicago prides itself on our efficient arrival times, ensuring that you and your vehicle get back to your property or get back on the road as soon as possible. Our main priority is ensuring the safety of our valued customers. Towing Chicago provides the highest quality towing services and emergency roadside assistance services available in the entire state of Illinois.