How to Stay Safe While Driving in a Winter Storm

While freezing temperatures and snow may be rare in Mississippi, the state sees its fair share of heavy rains. What’s more, those who are traveling north may encounter ice, sleet, hail, and snow on their journey. As such, knowing how to stay safe while driving in a winter storm is critical. If you’ll be traveling in a car and the weather outside is anything but nice, be sure to follow these key tips for safety:

Prepare for the Journey in Advance

One of the best safety tips for staying safe while driving is knowing that safety starts before you even get behind the wheel of the car. Here are some tips for preparing for the journey in advance that can help to keep you safe:

• Make sure your car is winter-ready. If you’ll be driving in winter weather, you’ll want to make sure that your vehicle is up for the challenge. This means ensuring that your car has snow tires or chains if there’s heavy snow and you don’t have four-wheel drive, changing out your wiper blades and fluid, making sure all of your fluids are topped off, servicing your engine and doing an oil change (or making sure you’re all charged up if you’re driving an electric car), checking your brakes, and making sure your tires have the right amount of air pressure.
• Know your route. Another important thing for staying safe in the wintertime is to know your route. Knowing your route in advance can help to keep you safe by preventing you from looking at your phone (maps/GPS) while driving. If you look up your route in advance, you can also learn of road closures or accidents that you may want to avoid.
• Pack everything you’ll need. When traveling in the wintertime, it’s smart to pack your car with items that will come in handy in the event that you are stranded or involved in an accident. These include a small shovel, blankets, warm clothes and boots, non-perishable food items, water, a flashlight, and an extra phone charger. It’s also a good idea to pack a first aid kit.

Know Safe Driving Techniques

The second part of staying safe while driving in a winter storm is to understand the safest driving techniques for navigating the roads in less-than-ideal conditions.

• Slow your speed. When the roads are wet or visibility is bad, slowing your speed is probably the safest thing that you can do. You should be driving below the speed limit when conditions are treacherous.
• Allow for extra following distance. If the roads are slick, your vehicle may not be able to come to a stop as quickly as it could otherwise. In order to protect yourself and others, you should provide extra following distance, allowing more space for your vehicle to stop and reducing the chances of a collision.
• Drive sober and distraction-free. Regardless of the weather, operating a motor vehicle after you’ve had a drink or while you’re distracted is one of the deadliest things that you can do. Not only this, but driving while impaired is illegal, and using a handheld device while driving is against the law in many states.
• Watch out for other drivers. Remember, even if you’re being as safe as possible, you can’t count on others to be as safe as you are. Always wear your seatbelt and keep your distance from drivers who are driving aggressively. Don’t engage in road rage, which can be dangerous.

Always Choose to Stay Home When Possible

The best way to ensure that you’re not in an accident is to stay home when the road conditions are bad. Unless you really have to go somewhere, you should opt to avoid driving in winter conditions if possible.

What to Do if You Are in an Accident

In the event that you are in an accident, it’s important to stop your vehicle, check for injuries to yourself or any passengers, exchange information with the other driver, and call the police. Even if you don’t have injuries that require emergency care, it’s a good idea to go to the hospital to get checked out just in case.

You’ll also want to call your insurance agent to report the accident within 24 hours. Depending on the severity of your accident, you may also consider hiring a Mississippi car accident attorney.

As you navigate the roads in the wintertime, whether in Mississippi or elsewhere, keep safety top of your mind. Doing so may reduce your risk of an accident.