Safety Tips For Winter Driving

The Charlotte, North Carolina car accident attorneys at Auger & Auger want you and your family to be safe this winter. The winter blast earlier this week resulted in 3 accident related fatalities and hundreds of accidents across North Carolina. Many of those accidents were attributed to black ice. The difficulty of seeing black ice gives drivers a false sense of security. Right on the heels of this weeks icy blast, forecasters are predicting another round of winter weather this weekend. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified December 23 as the third-deadliest day to drive. Therefore, we offer the following winter driving tips:

*Before setting out, remove snow and ice from windshield, hood, roof, trunk, and all lights.

*Make sure cell phone is charged.

*Keep emergency supplies in the trunk, such as a blanket, bottled water, snacks, ice scraper, shovel, jumper cables, and sand or kitty litter to use for traction.

*When driving on packed snow, reduce your speed by half; when on ice, slow to just a few miles per hour

*When traveling on snow or ice, accelerate slowly. If you start to skid, turn the wheel in same direction. If your tires spin, take foot off gas.

*When on snow or ice, keep a greater distance between your car and the car ahead of you. Begin slowing the vehicle sooner than you would in normal driving conditions.

*Be wary of black ice, particularly in areas where the sun does not hit, and on bridges/overpasses.