Winter Driving Safety Tips

Winter is upon us here in Colorado, and you know what that means—snow is falling, ice is forming, and driving is getting more dangerous. At the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya, we want you to make the most of this winter season, whether that means traveling to see your relatives or taking an annual ski trip with friends. That’s why we’re bringing you these helpful tips to stay safe on the roads this winter.

Safe Winter Season

For many of us, the winter season is about spending time with friends and family, taking trips and being outdoors enjoying the beautiful Colorado snowcapped mountains. It often involves traveling, parties, good food, and alcohol. While the winter season is an exciting time, it’s important to take precautions to keep you and your family safe. Here are a few steps you can take to prevent drinking and driving.

Have a designated driver.

This tip is one of the simplest but also one of the most effective ways of making sure everyone gets home safe.

Use an Uber or Lyft driver.

There are several companies nowadays that offer ride services, like Uber and Lyft. This is another great way to avoid impaired driving at a low cost. With these services, you can request a ride and get picked up by a reliable community driver in a matter of minutes.

If you’re hosting, offer non-alcoholic drinks.

While friends and family may want to enjoy your gathering with an alcohol drink, offer non-alcoholic drinks for designated drivers and others.

Prep Your Car for Winter

Before those icy temperatures set in, there are several things you can do to prepare your vehicle.

• Check your vehicle’s battery condition. A weak battery can leave you stranded in cold weather.
• Check that your lights are working properly.
• Check the cooling system fluid, belts, and hoses.
• Make sure you have at least a half tank of gas at all times to avoid gas line freeze.

If you don’t already have a winter car kit, now is a great time to put one together. Having emergency supplies is an important aspect of winter travel. Consider your own personal needs when assembling this kit, but here are a few common suggestions for what to include:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
• Blankets and/or sleeping bags
• Booster cables for starting your car
• First aid kit
• Bottled water
• Non-perishable foods like granola, raisins, and peanut butter
• Road maps
• Shovel
• Ice scraper
• Tire repair kit and pump
• Extra clothing
• Sack of sand or cat litter for better traction
• Knife
• Pen & paper
• An extra cell phone or coins for a pay phone

Remember, these items are suggestions, and you should add anything to this list based on your personal needs.

Winter Driving Safety

Conditions can change quickly in winter, requiring drivers to be alert at all times. Before going anywhere, it’s critical that you scrape any snow and ice from the windows and lights of your vehicle. You need to make sure that you can see other drivers and that they can see you.

Ice and snow demand that you leave more space between you and the vehicle in front of you, so be mindful of the distance between vehicles. Accidents are frequently caused by motorists driving too fast for the road conditions, leaving them less time to react.

If you do begin to skid on ice, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas, and turn your steering wheel in the direction you want the front of your car to go. If you have anti-lock brakes, do NOT pump the brakes—instead apply steady pressure to the brakes.

Enjoy the Winter!

Here at the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya, we wish you a fun and safe winter season. We truly hope you take these safety tips to heart. In the unfortunate event that you or a loved one is involved in an accident this winter, give us a call. We’re here for you.