by Melissa Miles McCarter

Created on: February 21, 2010

With snow on the ground in 49 states for the first time this winter and the groundhog predicting six more weeks of winter, winter driving is a big concern for all.  This is especially true here in Missouri where in many areas we have faced late snow falls and unusually low temperatures.  Weathermen are even expecting more snowfalls and frosts.  This cold weather means driving our Missouri roads can be treacherous.  Here are some driving tips for weathering the winter:

Don’t just not speed and obey speed limits—use common sense and adjust your speed to suit driving conditions.  This is especially true on icy roads—even if the speed limit says you can go at a higher speed, considers whether or not you should slow down.  If you are going too fast you will have a harder time stopping in the snow or on the ice.  Going slower also allows you to react to other drivers who might have a hard time slowing down themselves.

With snowplows on the road, be mindful of whether streets are plowed and give enough room for them to maneuver.  Don’t try to pass snowplows on the road either.  Stay on major highways that have been plowed and avoid icy streets, bridges or snow-filled roads.  This might mean changing your route or allowing more time for a commute—but it is worth a few extra minutes to avoid running off of a road or getting stuck in a snow drift. Wear your seatbelt.  I can’t tell you how many times I read about accidents in the newspaper and see that people die from not wearing seat belts.  If you aren’t in the habit of wearing one, maybe put a post-it not saying seatbelt on your dashboard or on the steering wheel.  In the winter, you are at additional risk of accidents, so wearing a seat belt should become second nature.  Keep your view unobstructed.

Your vision might be diminished because of weather conditions in the winter, so make sure you mirrors, windows and lights are clean.  Keep tools to de-ice your windows such as Baremitt scraper for de-icing.  To have obstructions means you might not see obstacles in the way in the road or prevents you from staying on the road. Four wheel drive cars don’t mean you’re safer than in other cars because of the higher center of gravity.  All cars and trucks need to accelerate and decelerate slowly—especially on potentially icy roads, such as black ice which you might not be able to see. Apply the gas slowly to accelerate in order to regain traction and help in avoiding skids on slick or icy roads. Make sure to slow down earlier for stoplights or when getting off of highways.  Icy roads make it harder to slow down and often take longer. 

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