Snowy conditions mean drivers should take precautions

By Riley Funk

With winter weather here to stay, safety experts are reminding drivers to take it slow during icy and hazardous conditions.

Frank Till, executive director for the St. Joseph Safety Council, said drivers will need to have a great deal of patience, especially when using the brakes and the accelerator.

“When we’re driving in these kind of conditions, we want to be light on everything, whether it’s light on the brakes, light on the gas,” Till said.

Drivers should prepare vehicles early to ensure they’re prepared to handle any winter conditions.

“Number one, need to make sure your tires are inflated properly,” Till said. “We need to have good tires. If we don’t have good tires, we need to stay away from this kind of weather. Buy snow tires if your vehicle is set up for that, if you don’t have all-wheel drive.”

Clearing snow and ice off all windows, lights and taillights is important to ensure visibility to other drivers. Vehicles should also be equipped with coats, hats and gloves for emergencies, as well as at least half a tank of gas in case drivers get stuck.

First-time drivers in winter conditions especially need to have a defensive driving approach, Till said.

“If it’s applying the gas, applying the brakes, understand that certain areas freeze quicker and are slicker … overpasses and bridges, shaded areas of the road, roadways near a waterway sometimes become slick quicker,” Till said.

There are many theories on how to get the vehicle to come to a complete stop, including pumping the brakes.

While many say the best way to get a vehicle to come to a stop is by pumping the brakes, Till said that’s actually a bad idea.

“The worst thing you can do is pump the brakes because it’s just on and off, on and off. Just it’s better to just do a gentle pressure (to the brake),” Till said. “I’ve heard some people say it like a one-toe pressure on the brake and just lightly apply the brake. That makes you stay better in control.”