Driving Tips: Surviving Mother Nature

Researchers have found that 24% of all accidents occur in adverse conditions. Why these accidents happen is not always contributed to driver error. Just a few minor adjustments in your driving habits can help you not be apart of this statistic.

Each year over 7.400 people are killed in driving accidents. Another 670.000 are injured in accidents due to bad weather. Ice and snow are not the only conditions which cause these accidents; rain has also been a culprit in many of these events.

Lynette Goodwin, lead transportation engineer at Nolis in Falls Church VA. states that "More fatal accidents occur in the south" which has the highest rainfall precipitation. Rain is a weather condition which some people don't feel the need to slow down, compared to ice and snow. Roads are at their slickest point when it first starts to rain. Oil and debris have built up on the roads making this the most hazardous part of the storm.

Roads that are covered with ice and snow are road conditions that deserve respect. Having driven professionally for thirty one years in the worst road conditions, here are some tips which I've learned that can also help you and your family survive the up and coming winter months.

Adjust your speed

By adjusting your speed you gain reaction time just in case an event occurs. This extra time provides a safer following distance between you and other vehicles on the roadway. Be aware of your speed, some drivers either slow down too much, or not enough.

Know the limitations of your vehicle

Understanding the limitations of your vehicle is very essential for safe driving. When the roads are in an "unsafe" condition, your reaction in a situation is the only hope for survival. Driving beyond the limits of your vehicle puts you on the edge of disaster. Read your drivers manual, or go on-line to find out the limits of your vehicles limitations. High profile vehicles are especially susceptible to rollovers when they are pushed beyond their limits.

Increase your following distance

This practice works the same as adjusting your speed; it helps to give you a "safe place" just in case anything happens to the car you're following. Always try to keep a safe following distance of the vehicles in front of you, and never tail-gate, this is just an accident waiting to happen.

Adjust your defroster

A good clean defrosted windshield can be the difference between "driving blind" and seeing what's going on in front of you. Your eyes are the first contact of any erratic behaviors, so always provide ample vision for them. Don't drive around with a frosted up windshield, or rear window.

Brakes

Slamming on your brakes causes them to lock up, and can cause the vehicle to slide out of control. Control of your vehicle is always the number one priority. Heavy braking on Icy or wet road conditions can jeopardize the stability of your vehicle. So adjust the pressure of your braking in bad road conditions, unless you're ready to end up in the ditch

Be aware of what's around you

Be alert, put down the cell phone and the vanity mirror, and watch what's going on in front of you. Always keep an eye on your rear view mirror; this can help to save a rear end collision. Awareness of your abilities and your surroundings is very essential to highway safety. By knowing which vehicles are around you, a safe place is attainable when a situation happens where you need to maneuver the vehicle out of its direction of travel.

Relax

Once you start to tense up you're just waiting for an accident to happen. If you start to get nervous pull over and take a break. After your break, maybe some of the worst weather will pass.

These are just some of the tricks of the trade that I have used over my career in driving. And remember, if you don't feel safe pull over. There's nothing that important that you should risk the lives of your family, or others on the road. Keep in mind that there will always be another day to finish your trip.

Source of information: www.safedrivingtechniques.com/