by Rex Coker

Created on: November 06, 2008   Last Updated: November 16, 2008

Any safe driver knows that no matter how careful you are, it is no guarantee that you will not have a weather related accident. If you have to drive in any three types of these conditions, it is best to watch or listen to your local news or weather channel for the latest road conditions, before heading out to your job or school. The main culprit to accidents on the highway is speed. The second factor is your vehicles operating status. Does it have good tread on the tires, does it have good brakes? These are some of the questions you may want to ask yourself before you put you or your families life on the line when driving in bad weather.

1) Keep your vehicle at a slow even speed. This will help in the control of the vehicle while driving. This applies to all three types of weather, snow ice or heavy rain.

2) If you are driving in snow or icy conditions make sure you distance yourself from other cars in front of you. Only touch your brakes if you need to slow down. When applying your brakes you should feather them lightly as if you have a egg beneath your foot and the brake pedal. Never lock your brakes down for it could start your car to spin out of control.

3) When driving in heavy rain make sure you adjust your speed accordingly, water sometimes builds up on road surfaces and can cause your car to hydroplane. This can be very frightening when you feel your car lift up from your tires not being in contact with the road. In these circumstances it is best to just lift your foot from the accelerator and not use the brakes to slow the car. Once the car slows down the tires will make better contact with the road.

4) When driving in weather conditions as listed above, you should always have an emergency kit with blankets and extra batteries for flash lights and a portable radio. Having simple snacks that do not spoil are a good idea when driving in snow conditions. If you have to stop or find yourself broken down beside the road you will be thankful you packed these items. Take safety courses like how to put on snow chains or how to do a pre-trip inspection of your car to make sure you have the necessary things for your drive.

Like I said at the beginning of the article, there are no guarantees that anyone will not have a accident, but prevention and preparedness can be life saving and it only takes a few simple steps for a safe drive from one destination to another.

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