Winter Driving Recommendations
By Chad Engle, Loss Prevention and Safety Specialist
If you’re thinking your vehicle’s battery or tires may be ready to be replaced, now is the time. Every battery that has failed on me, failed on a freezing cold day. Two of them I had been warned about during oil changes but chose to wait. I don’t wait anymore.
It totally isn’t worth the risk to try and get one more winter out of a set of tires, the tire industry recommends replacing tires once they are at 2/32’s of an inch, there is significant reduction in performance after the tire reaches 4/32’s of an inch.
Check and top off all fluids. There is nothing worse than driving in melting snow or drizzle without and washer fluid.
Try to keep your fuel tank at least half full. You don’t want to be stranded and run out of fuel.
Consider storing the following items in your vehicle:
- Blankets
- Water
- Non-perishable food items
- Shovel
- Bag of gravel or kitty litter for traction
- Candles
To avoid a crash, consider the following:
- Avoid using your cruise control
- Reduce your speed, seriously, reduce your speed
- Increase your following distance, give yourself space to identify and avoid hazards
- Postpone your trip
Before you head out, take a look at www.511.nebraska.gov for current road conditions. This is an excellent resource for winter travelling, it contains maps with current conditions, you can check cameras along the roads you may be travelling, and you can get real time video from snowplows.
After checking the weather and checking the roads via www.511.nebraska.gov, if you aren’t comfortable please consider postponing your trip. At least until the fine folks in the road departments get a chance to get out and clear the roads, it’s safer for you and them.
Please travel safe this winter!
