As the first major winter storm of the season descends on large parts of Ohio, officials are encouraging drivers to be cautious on the roads.
Kimberly Schwind is the assistant director of the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. Here, she shares recommendations for safely navigating snowy and icy streets.
1. Give yourself time
If you have to drive anywhere, leave with plenty of time to spare, as traveling takes longer on snowy roads.
“[Now] is not the time to be impatient or to try to rush,” Schwind said.
Instead, slow down — even if it means you’re driving below the speed limit.
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“We always say to drive for conditions, and that might mean if the speed limit is 45 or even 65, you're going well below that. It's much, much harder to stop on snow and ice,” Schwind said.
Accounting for the longer, slower drive before leaving can help you stay safe.
2. Prepare your car
Before heading out, check your tire pressure and tread depth. If your tires are too worn down, your car will slip and slide in the snow.
Schwind recommends doing a penny test.
“Turn the penny upside down and make sure that the tread is covering Lincoln's head, and that's going to help you to understand if you have enough tread depth,” Schwind said. “If not, you're going to feel it on the roads.”
Other pre-drive checks should focus on your headlights working properly and your windshield wiper fluid supply being full. Keeping an emergency kit of food, car supplies, and water in the car is a helpful precaution too.
3. Double your following distance
Schwind suggests putting more space between you and the cars ahead of you. Remember, it takes longer to stop on snowy, icy roads.
While following distance on dry roads should be about three seconds, it should be doubled in wintery conditions.
Schwind says stopping is easier when you have plenty of time to slow down.
4. Steer into the skid
Don’t panic if you feel your car start to slide.
“The worst thing that you can do is to hit the brake,” Schwind said. “If you feel yourself sliding, take your feet off of the pedals, steer the car in the direction of the skid and look down the road where you want to go.”
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So, if your rear wheels are sliding left, gently turn the steering wheel left to recover from the skid.
5. Don’t tailgate snowplows
When you drive by snowplows working on the roads, Schwind says to slow down.
“You definitely want to make sure that you give the plows plenty of space to work, because they are trying to make the road safer for everybody,” Schwind said. “Don't get impatient. Don't try to tailgate them, don't try to go around them, just give them plenty of space to work.”
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