Winter Driving

We got more snow in Idaho this week. In fact, E had to plow for the first time this winter. Needless to say, driving to school has been quite interesting. Today I want to share a few tips about safe winter driving, with or without kids, for you to use as the weather gets wet.

1. Drive Slowly - This is by far the most important thing you can do with winter driving. There are many good reasons to drive slowly. First is that you are less likely to slide as you have less need of brakes. The other reason this is important is that if you do end up sliding you will be much more likely to get the car under control or if you hit something you will do less damage. If everyone would follow this simple rule there would be far fewer winter accidents.
2. Stay of the Roads - the other obvious solution to safe winter driving is to not drive. This doesn't always work but if you are not comfortable on the roads you should probably just stay home. Most people will understand.
3. Scrape your Windshield - Being able to see is an important part of driving any time of year. Please make sure you can see out the whole front and rear windshields and your side windows/rear view mirrors before you pull out of the driveway. Yes, it make take you five minutes but it will greatly increase the chances you have of getting to your destination safely.
4. Keep your Windshield Wipers in Good Condition - If your wipers don't work well it can cause you some serious problems. This is an inexpensive fix. You can buy wiper blades at Walmart and put them on yourself. If you don't know how email me and I will write a tutorial. All you need is the new blades and a pair of needle nose pliers.
5. Have good Tires - You may not think that something this simple can make a difference in winter driving but I am here to tell you that having new tires will make a big difference in your ability to navigate winter roads.
6. Keep A Cell Phone and Blanket - These two little things will become your friend if you do get stranded somewhere. We all hope this doesn't happen but it is always better to be prepared.

I sincerely hope that all of you are driving safe this winter. Please be safe, warm and happy as we head into February!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.