Vehicle Survival Tips for Winter Driving Conditions
(Granite City Collision wants you and your vehicle to be safe this winter.)
It’s wintertime in the Carolinas. Time for majestic snowfalls in the mountains. Time for a snow day for the kiddos. And, unfortunately, time for vehicle accidents.
In a perfect world, you wouldn’t need Granite City Collision. In this perfect world, drivers wouldn’t venture out in winter weather conditions unless it’s an emergency. These drivers wouldn’t brake suddenly and over-correct their steering when they start to slip and slide.
Granite City Collision of Mount Airy, North Carolina exists because that perfect world does not exist. Bumps, dings, dents, and crashes occur each and every day on area roads, especially when Mother Nature cries tears of ice and snow.
Granite City Collision wants you to know about a handful of tried and true measures to prevent wintery weather accidents. Think about that. Granite City Collision cares so much about your safety and your car’s well being, they are providing helpful tips that would prevent you from using their business. Can you imagine a fast-food chain detailing how to prepare and cook a healthy meal at home?
Tip #1: Stay Home!
The best way to avoid vehicle damage in the winter is to let your car, truck, jeep, or SUV enjoy the beautiful snowfall as it looks out the garage window or as it relaxes in the driveway. Seriously, stay home unless it is an emergency. Take the day off and avoid the slippery conditions, especially if you’re a Mount Airy resident. Those mountainous roads have danger written all over them. Curl up with a book and a hot cup of coffee. (As an idiot college kid who got hit by an 18-wheeler and nearly totaled his ’93 Mustang driving in the middle of a snowstorm, I can attest to the importance of Tip #1.)
Tip #2: Prepare
Okay, you listened to Granite City Collision’s sage advice and stayed home during the brunt of the storm. But now you have to go to work or the store. What you have to do now is prepare your car and your route. First, clear your vehicle completely of all snow and ice. Also, check your vehicle’s fluid levels. Second, plan your trip using as many major roads as possible. Some of the roads have been cleared, but not all of them. The survivalist in you should prepare a supply kit that includes food, water, and first aid items. Plus, head straight to the gas station and fill your vehicle up.
Tip #3: Drive Like Your 90-Year Old Grandma
Whether you got stuck in the storm or ignored Granite City Collision’s first tip, you need to drive extra carefully if out in icy and snowy conditions. Please do the following on the slick roads:
- Use your headlights so others can see you.
- Maintain a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Safety experts suggest you stay 20 seconds behind the vehicle because it may take 10 times as long to come to a complete stop in wintery conditions compared to ideal driving conditions.
- Be gentle as you brake and accelerate. Your wet and snowy tires are doing all they can to get you around safely. Make it easy on them. Also, stay in your lane as long as possible. The snow, ice, and slush are pushed to the white and yellow lines by all the cars on the road. Changing lanes forces your tires to drive over this snow-ice-slush concoction. (Guess what caused my car to do a 180, allowing me to sit in the middle of a snow-covered highway and watch as an 18-wheeler luckily had room to switch lanes and side-swipe my car? Changing lanes on the highway when I didn’t need to.)
Tip #4: Stay Calm When Skidding
Accidents in wintery conditions quite often occur because the driver does not know how to handle skidding. Our survival instincts tell us to brake when we lose control of our vehicle, but in snowy and icy conditions, you should avoid the brake as long as possible. Let the car decelerate by itself. If your skid turns into a spin, don’t overcorrect and freak out. Remember what you were taught in Driver’s Education – steer in the direction of the spin.
Granite City Collisions in Mount Airy is your home for stellar, expertise help with major and minor vehicle-plastic surgery. Granite City Collisions offers free repair estimates, a 100% lifetime guarantee on the bodywork, and a year-long/12,000 mile guarantee on parts. Give Granite City Collisions a call at 336-786-2119 and see how they can help you with your vehicle damage.
