Winter Driving Tips

As we move inexorably toward winter, it may be helpful to review tips for driving in the snow. The Pennsylvania injury lawyers of Erie and Meadville offer these helpful tips just in time for the first “big snow” forecast for the region.

• Stopping and Starting: “Slow” and “gradual” are the watchwords here. Sudden starts and stops are surefire ways to lose traction with the road, which leads to loss of control of the vehicle. Plus, it’s going to take longer to stop no matter what, so plan accordingly.
• Slow: Slow it down. The truth is that no matter how well equipped your car is, everything takes longer on snow- and ice-covered roads. It takes longer to get going. It takes longer to stop. It takes longer to maneuver. So, slow down and give yourself the extra time you need to avoid accidents.
• Increase Distance Between Cars: Whatever your normal following distance is on dry pavement, plan on doubling it or tripling it. One rule of thumb is to allow three to four seconds of distance on dry surfaces and 8 – 10 seconds on snow- or ice-covered roads. This can make all the difference and help you avoid a collision.
• Hills: Don’t stop, don’t speed up. Hills present unusual problems. You don’t want to stop while going up a hill because getting started necessarily means applying more power and encountering more resistance, thus increasing the likelihood of a loss of traction. You don’t want to power up a hill, either, for the same reasons. So, plan to use inertia by using momentum acquired prior to the hill to carry you up to the top.