Driving in the winter presents enough issues on its own and the roads get very dangerous. When roads get icy or snowy tires tend to lose traction making drivers more prone to accidents. Although there are things you cannot control on the road, there are precautions you can take to make sure you are being the safest driver possible. Driving safe helps prevent possible injury to you and other people on the road.
Every year roughly 24 percent of weather-related vehicle accidents happen on icy, snowy roads. 15 percent of accidents occur during sleet or snowfall. Driving in the snow is always very risky no matter how experience a driver you are. That is why you should limit your drive time as much as you possibly can. Over 1,300 people are killed every year in accidents involving snow or ice and over 116,800 people are severely injured. So, to help prevent a potential future vehicular accident here are some helpful tips when driving during the winter. To start out, you can help prevent the chance of accidents by reducing your drive time, but if you cannot help but drive make sure the reason is necessary and help yourself and others by following thee tips. In general, when you are driving you should allow a safe space between vehicles in case there is a sudden stop, the time you should normally allow behind another vehicle is two to three seconds for a safe stop. But when there is ice or snow you should make sure to double the time you would typically need to make a successful stop, also make sure you are driving slowly and checking your surroundings. Making sure your car is prepared for a drive is also extremely important, never let your gas tank get below half full as your tank could freeze which will prevent your car from starting. Just by using these simple tips you can help prevent future crashes.
If you are following these safety tips for driving it will help prevent future accidents by helping both yourself and others.