FOX44 - Burlington / Plattsburgh News, Weather & Sports10.25.11 Winter Weather Awareness: Winter Driving

10.25.11 Winter Weather Awareness: Winter Driving

Picture it: It's snowing, hard. You are driving from work to home after dark. The comfort of your heater in the car makes you happy to be enclosed from the snow and blowing wind, creating near whiteout conditions.  Suddenly, your car looses traction and you slide off the road, leaving you unable to get out of a deep snow bank. Now what?

Are you prepared?

Thanks for checking back in with our Sky Tracker Weather Blogs for today's topic of Winter Weather Awareness Week.

Today's topic is preparedness for safe winter driving

If you are in the most unfortunate situation of becoming stranded off the road during a winter storm, don't panic. If you are unable to get free, of course, call for help first. Then, stay and wait for aid, knowing that you have planned ahead, and will be just fine. Here are some of the things you can do to prepare ahead for this situation.

One simple way to avoid winter driving...don't! If you don't have to be on the roads during a snowstorm, it's best to avoid it. If you must, then make sure you check the forecast and know what kind of road conditions to expect. We here at ABC22 and Fox44 provide 24/7 forecasts on our website and frequent posts to Facebook and Twitter (search Fox44 Local News). You can always check live radar there, too.

Here are things you can do to prep your car for winter driving.

1)      Have a tune up. Make sure all fluids are topped off, and breaks are working properly. Have winter tires (these provide better traction than ‘all season' tires).  Check to see that your windshield wipers are in good working condition.

2)      Have an emergency kit in your car. Flares and a flashlight is important, especially as the days get shorter and night comes sooner in the evening. As part of your emergency kit, have extra blankets and warm clothes always in the car(gloves, hat, coat, etc...). Carry a small supply of food and water, just incase. Good suggestions for food? Nuts, granola bars, & non-perishable snacks...chocolate is okay too!

3)      Also in your car, you may be able to get out of a bad situation by keeping a bag of sand, a shovel, and an ice scraper in your car. The sand may help with traction under your tires ( a bag of kitty litter will work, too!)

4)      Finally, if you do have the misfortune of sliding off the road and your car becomes stuck in a snow bank, or you become stranded...here are some very important steps to take.

-Once you have called for or attempted to flag down help, you should stay with the vehicle, and do not venture out into the elements if at all possible. By having the winter safety kit you should have adequate supplies while you are waiting for assistance!

-You should run the motor every 10 minutes or so for heat, but MAKE CERTAIN that the exhaust pipe is not blocked. Open the windows slightly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep yourself visibly with the flares or lights, and while waiting, keep your arms and legs moving to keep good circulation and to stay warm.

Simple tips to avoid being stuck in this situation in the first place are quite simple... While driving in snow or ice, remember to SLOW DOWN! Always allow more space between you and the car in front of you. AND remember to slowly pump the brakes (instead of slamming on them) to stop the car. Remember these simple tips for the first snow, because its often the first snow that lead to so many incidents that might have been otherwise avoided.

Tomorrow's topic - Protecting yourself from the wind and cold!

You will find it right here in the Sky Tracker Weather Blogs on fox44now.com and abc22.com    

Winter Weather Awareness Week is a campaign by the National Weather Service, joined with local emergency management and media, to help YOU prepare for winter.