Winter Driving Tips For Your Next Family Adventure

Driving in the winter can be daunting. Unpredictable road conditions and new dangers make many drivers understandably nervous. If you live in an area with inclement winter weather, you need to know how to handle these conditions for a safe drive. These five tips will help you feel more comfortable on the road when heading out in the colder months.

Avoid Cruise Control

While cruise control is an excellent tool for longer road trips, it is best to avoid engaging it when it is cold outside. If you hit a patch of ice or snow, cruise control will attempt to keep your car going the same speed, which can lead to spinouts, sliding, or other accident-causing issues. It may be a drag, but keeping complete control over your vehicle, even on long trips, is important when heading out in winter conditions.

Go Around

Instead of suddenly braking if an obstacle appears before you, try to navigate around it. Even if you brake, your car may continue to slide towards the obstacle, which can lead to a crash or worse. Calmly navigating your vehicle around it and removing your foot from the gas is a safer way to avoid being locked on ice. This will keep you and other drivers safe on the road.

Keep an Emergency Kit

An emergency kit is a must-have, especially if you live in an area that sees heavy winter conditions. Your emergency kit should include heavy blankets and an extra pair of socks and mittens. You may also want to include instant warming packets to tuck into your clothing. Flares and light sticks are excellent items to have to mark the location of your vehicle if you break down. Consider packing food to snack on and drinks like Gatorade that are harder to freeze.

Keep kitty litter or some other substance in your trunk in case you need traction beneath your tires if you get stuck in snow or mud.

Slow Down

Going quickly during the winter is more dangerous than when roads are clear. As previously mentioned, ice makes for slippery roads, and if you are going fast, it may lead to you sliding or spinning out, especially if you lose your grip on the wheel or attempt to turn. Instead, slow and steady is the best way to navigate roads, especially right after a storm.

Stay Home

Check your local weather before you head out. If the weather is severe, such as sleet or a snowstorm, it is better to stay inside and wait it out. Limited visibility means that you may miss winter dangers like snow drifts or ice patches. If you do find yourself in a storm, guide your vehicle onto the shoulder, preferably under a bridge or some other shelter. Do not attempt to continue to drive.

These five tips can help keep you and your passengers safe during winter driving conditions and help make you a little more confident on the road.