WASHINGTON – Driving in snowy conditions is never fun, no matter how experienced a driver is.
AAA Mid-Atlantic offers these tips for driving in snow:
- Make sure your gas tank is full.
- Slow down in snowy and icy conditions.
- Don’t drive in heavy snow, unless it’s completely necessary.
- Ask yourself, “Is this trip really the wise thing to do?”
- Dress warmly, in case you get stuck.
- Carry a cellphone in case you break down.
- Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
- Before starting your car, make sure the tailpipe is free of snow.
- Carry a snow emergency kit. (See what should be in it below.)
- Use major routes that have been treated.
- Slow down. Stopping distances are 10 times longer in heavy snow.
- Avoid slamming on the brakes.
- Don’t pump the brakes if you have an anti-lock brake system.
- Avoid changing lanes.
- Don’t use cruise control.
- Don’t pass snowplows and spreaders. Make room for them.
- Don’t spin your wheels. You’ll only dig in deeper.
- Don’t panic during a skid. Steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go.
Make sure your car has an emergency kit. Here’s what AAA recommends you put in it:
- Cellphone
- Blankets/sleeping bags
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- First-aid kit
- Drinking water
- Extra clothes
- Sand or cat litter for traction
- Shovel
- Scraper/brush
- Jumper cables
- Tool kit
- Flares or orange triangles
- Knife
- Towels
- High calorie, non-perishable food
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