Last night I was out for a drive around 10:00 P.M. and I received a very upsetting notification on my dashboard- “Caution Ice Possible”. I looked at the outside temperature and it was reading 3 C.
With that, I do believe its time to write a post about safe driving tips as the road conditions change, and we begin to navigate the frozen landscape of Saskatchewan.
Stay Calm
The first thing that needs to be said is to stay calm if you encounter slippery or snowy roads. If you keep your stress from getting too elevated, it will enable you to be less tense to control the vehicle, and you will make better choices with your maneuvers
Keep a light grip on the wheel
Along with keeping calm, make sure that you don’t over tighten your grip on the steering wheel. This can cause you to make “jerky movements” on the wheel which can result in a spin. The most natural path that your vehicle wants to follow is a straight one. Making gentle, slight adjustments on the steering wheel to alter your course will help avoid a spin out. Keep a light grip on the wheel and don;’t over react.
Slowly slow down
Don’t make any sudden changes to your speed on a slippery road by stomping on the brakes! This will cause a skid, and you will loose control of your steering ability. If you encounter slippery roads, simply take your foot off of the gas and coast down to the desired speed. If you must use your brakes then do so, but use them gently!
Winter tires
If you stress about the slippery roads, take the time to get your winter tires put on early so that you have the extra traction as soon as you need it
Hazard lights
If you are a person that needs to really take your time on slippery roads, and you travel a great deal below the speed limit, please use your hazard lights to alert the drivers around you that you are moving slow.
Keep your cell phone charged and secure
If you are heading out in the cold weather on slippery roads, make sure your cell phone is charged and it is secured so that in the event an accident happens, you can call for help. Never use your phone while driving!
Check the highway hotline
If you are able, check the road conditions report online using the highway hotline. Simply visit https://hotline.gov.sk.ca/mobile/#map to get the latest updates on road conditions. If travel is not recommended, don’t travel!
From all of us at Prairie Insurance, keep safe on the roads this fall as our seasons change! If you need to review your auto insurance coverage, give us a call to make sure that you have what you need on your policy.