Rochester can have some pretty treacherous winter weather. However, just because the weather has turned snowy and icy, that doesn’t mean that you’re going to stay at home. If you’re heading out to drive in the winter weather, here are some tips that can make your journey a little bit safer. However, if the conditions are truly hazardous, make sure that you stay home — that is the only way to be sure you’ll be safe once the roads get bad enough.

Check Your Tires

Before winter gets fully in swing, make sure that your tires are ready for the weather. If your tires look bald, make sure that you replace them before it becomes an issue. You can get winter tires if you feel you need them, though most times a good all-season tire will be enough. If they aren’t bald, make sure that they’re still fully inflated — changes in weather can change your tire pressure, which can lead to flat tires or other issues. You can also rotate your tires if they’re starting to show signs of wear but are still overall functional.

Check Your Brakes

Your brakes are instrumental in preventing winter accidents. If you feel like your brakes aren’t working as optimally as they should be, make sure that you get them checked out and fixed or replace immediately, especially if there’s already snow on the ground.

Perform Routine Maintenace

Depending on the kind of car you have, there will be set times for routine maintenance for things like oil changes. For example, if you contributed to the $23.36 billion that the Mercedes Benz’ brand was worth in 2019, you should make sure to read your Mercedes’ car manual to see when you should perform maintenance and how you should perform it.

Replace Your Windshield Wipers

If you’re driving in a snowstorm, being able to see through the snow coming at your windshield is very important to avoid getting in an accident. Windshield wipers, invented in 1903, are what you need to ensure you can see through the storm. They make more heavy-duty versions of windshield wipers that are meant for the snow and ice, so look into getting yourself a pair before the winter weather gets too bad.

Slow Down

If you’re running late, it can be tempting to speed up a little bit to get to your destination faster. However, with snow and ice on the roads, you could be speeding towards being in one of the 5.5 million car accidents that happen annually in the U.S. Think about it this way: if you get into an accident, you’re going to be much later in arriving at your destination than if you slow down a little more than you usually do.

Speed Up And Slow Down Slowly

When you’re accelerating or deaccelerating your car, you should make sure you’re giving yourself enough time to get to full speed or a full stop. If you accelerate too quickly, you could end up stuck in any snow on the ground, and if you brake too quickly, you could end up skidding on ice.

Stay Back From Other Drivers

If someone in front of you is taking the earlier tip and slowing down, you shouldn’t trail their car too closely. If you’re too close to their car and they have to suddenly brake, the odds are you won’t have time to stop before rear-ending them. Even if you have time to deaccelerate, you could rear-end them if your car skids on some ice. Try to stay three to four seconds behind the car in front of you to ensure there’s enough space between your cars.

Stay Alert

The key to driving smart in the winter is to constantly be alert to your surroundings and to the road in front of you. Make sure that your phone is stowed away in your center console, pocket, or purse to ensure that you won’t be distracted by incoming notifications. If you have to have the radio on, have it at a low volume and don’t spend time flipping through the stations. In addition, make sure that you aren’t using cruise control so that you’re more ready to slowly speed up or slow down.

Pack an Emergency Kit

If you end up going off the road, having an emergency kit in the car can be a literal lifesaver. In your emergency kit, make sure you have:

  • Warm Clothes. Having hats, gloves, scarves, and a sweatshirt or two can help you keep warm while you wait for help to come to get your car out.
  • Hand Warmers. If you are worried about becoming too cold in your car while waiting for help, you can crack some hand warmers to create some warmth meant to keep your extremities from getting too cold.
  • Snacks and Water. If you are stranded out of the way and have to wait hours for someone to come get you, you want to avoid becoming hungry and dehydrated. If you have snacks and water on hand, you can avoid that issue altogether if you do go off the road.
  • A Flashlight. This way you won’t have to worry about draining your phone battery lighting up your car.
  • A Portable Phone Charger and Charging Cable. This is good to have in your car for any situation, but if you go off the road, it’s especially important to have your phone fully charged so you can call for help and have a way to stay in contact with emergency services.
  • A First-Aid Kit. If you sustain any minor injuries when you go off the road, you can treat them immediately instead of worrying about them becoming worse due to lack of treatment.

Keep Your Gas Tank Full

If there’s a bad time to run out of gas, it’s in the middle of bad winter weather. Although you’ll be set for a while with your emergency kit, being able to avoid it altogether is a much better alternative.

What are your tips for driving in Rochester’s winter weather? Is there anything else you keep in your emergency kit? Let us know in the comments!