Indianapolis, Indiana, and its surrounding areas are known for heavy snow and low temperatures throughout the winter. This makes for challenging driving conditions for a good portion of the year. As you prepare for the rough roads outside, follow these safe winter driving tips.
1. Get Your Vehicle Checked
One of the best ways to prepare for driving safely in the winter is to make sure your car is ready for snow, ice, and cold temperatures. Head to a service center, and get your car battery checked. If your battery is old, you might want to replace it. Cold weather can be hard on an old car battery, leading to trouble getting the car to start.
Have them check your tires and brakes, as well. Tires should have a decent amount of tread to handle snow and ice, and your brakes will need to be in good shape for stopping power. Also make sure you’re using all-weather windshield wiper fluid so it doesn’t freeze in the lines.
2. Slow Down
Leave yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go when the weather is bad, so you never need to drive fast on dangerous roads. If you’re on a highway, stay in the farthest right lane, and let other drivers pass you. Take it slow, and keep both hands on the wheel when driving on ice or through snow. The faster your wheels are turning, the more difficult it will be to maintain traction.
3. Keep a Safe Distance
While you should always keep a safe following distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you, that distance should increase during winter driving conditions. The ideal distance in normal conditions is three seconds or about 16 car lengths. This should double when driving in snow or over ice, as you want to make sure you’ll have plenty of time to come to a full stop before reaching the car in front of you.
4. Always Have Enough Gas
It’s always a good idea to keep your gas tank filled above a quarter tank, especially in the winter. Bad weather is not a good time to play risky with your gas levels. Any time your tank dips below half full, find time to fill up. This will help ensure you’re never stranded in the cold or a snowstorm.
5. Stay Home When You Can
If the roads are icy or it’s snowing heavily, opt to stay home if you can. Some winter driving conditions are quite dangerous and should be avoided, if possible. Check the weather before making plans, and avoid going out when it’s calling for a storm.
If you absolutely need to leave, consider using one of the many available navigation apps that show real-time information about accidents and road closures. Plan to take the route with the least amount of hills and sharp turns, and try to stay on major roads that are likely to be plowed and salted.
Stay safe this winter by following these driving tips. If you live in an area with particularly rough roads and bad weather, consider buying a vehicle with all-wheel drive and strong capability features.
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