During the winter months, road conditions can become incredibly dangerous to drive on. Just taking a drive down the road might cause you to fishtail on the pavement and lose control of the vehicle that you’re driving. By knowing how to take control of the vehicle and drive safely on icy roads, you can be better prepared for the dangerous winter weather conditions. Below are a few road safety tips to consider, provided by Texas car accident lawyers, Sutliff & Stout.
The Type of Car to Drive Safely
One of the first things you should do is to consider the type of car that you’re going to be driving on the road. Let’s say that you have two different cars that you can drive. The first car is a sports vehicle that is small and light and the other is a crossover vehicle that has all-wheel-drive capabilities. Obviously, the crossover vehicle is going to be the ideal choice for more icy and snowy terrain. If you do not have another car to choose and the one that you normally drive is very light, you should avoid driving if you can in order to avoid a dangerous situation.
Another thing to consider is to weigh down your vehicle before getting on the road. Bags of melting salt or cat litter can weigh down the back of a vehicle, preventing it from fishtailing while on icy terrain. Very small vehicles might not benefit from being weighed-down, but it is a good option if you are only able to drive a tinier and lighter vehicle. Cat litter is very cheap to buy and a few bags can easily add a few hundred pounds to your car to weigh it down.
The Right Tires for the Car
You’re also going to want to take the type of tires that you have on the car into consideration. A lot of drivers who live in snowy areas have a tendency to put snow tires on their vehicles before the weather gets bad. Snow tires often have metal studs on them or even chains to prevent slipping on ice. The studs will actually grip the ice and act like cleats when it comes to easily driving on icy roads. Most mechanics and tire centers will be able to change out these tires for you and give you something more suited for bad weather conditions.
Also, it is incredibly important for you to take good care of the tires that you have on your car, especially during the winter. You need to make sure that the air pressure in the tires is at its maximum for the type of vehicle that you’re driving. Getting a flat on icy terrain can cause you to lose control of the vehicle and might result in an accident. Also, change out your tires if you notice that they do not have treads on them and are considered to be bald. Bald tires have no traction whatsoever, so this can make it difficult for you to get a good grip on the road when conditions are a bit icy.
Driving on icy terrain also means that you need to take your time and not be in a rush to get anywhere. Leave a little earlier for work when you know the roads are slippery and avoid going places that you do not necessarily need to be if the weather outside is very bad.
