When the first snow falls, driving becomes much more difficult. Snow, drizzle and glazed surfaces increase the risk of road accidents, so it is important to remember to follow the traffic rules and make sure your vehicle is ready for the cold season. In this article, we will provide seven tips to help you prevent accidents and ensure that your trip is safe.
Keep a safe distance between yourself and the vehicles in front.
Keeping a good distance is especially important during the cold season. Roads covered with wet leaves, as well as wet roads, mean that double the safety distance between vehicles should be maintained during the warm period. However, when the road is covered with ice, the safety distance should become 10 times greater than usual. Staying at a longer distance during the winter will help prevent accidents.
Reduce your speed.
During the cold season, it is important to keep in mind that even if you follow the usual speed limits, it is sometimes much safer to drive at a lower speed. As was mentioned earlier, severe traffic conditions such as snow or glazed surfaces make driving difficult and increase the braking time. By driving slower, you will ensure that you keep a safe distance from the vehicles behind and in front of you, so that you are able to stop the truck in a dangerous situation.
If possible, make sure the truck’s fuel tank remains full.
A full fuel tank adds extra weight to your truck. In this way, the vehicle’s tyres are pressed harder onto the ground, which ensures a better grip on the snow and greater safety when braking. Thus, if possible, try to make sure your fuel tank stays full.
Make sure your vehicle is clearly visible.
When driving in the winter, it is very important to make sure that your truck is clearly visible. Before each trip, make sure that the vehicle’s rear and headlights are working properly. It is important to keep in mind that LED-type lights often accumulate more snow and ice, so if your truck is equipped with LED lights, do not forget to take breaks while driving and to clean your headlights when you leave the vehicle.
It is also important to make sure that you can see the road clearly while driving. Be sure to clean the mirrors and windows in the event of heavy snow, and keep a cloth or another device in the vehicle, in order to wipe the inside of the truck’s windows if they mist up.
Choose roads with less traffic.
On most highways and busy roads, vehicles move in a compressed manner. When driving a truck, especially if it is a heavy vehicle or if you are carrying a large load, try to maintain a distance from other cars. If possible, choose the roads where traffic is not as heavy. If this is not possible, drive more slowly on busy roads (e.g. motorways) and stay at a greater distance from other cars, even if you are in a traffic jam – this will help to ensure a safe journey.
A strange but effective tip – buy cat litter.
While this sounds odd, cat litter is an extremely effective material that can help you park your truck safely during the winter. When the vehicle is stopped, the truck’s tyres, which have warmed up during the journey, often melt the snow under the wheels and turn it into ice. This is why driving out of a parking lot can sometimes be extremely difficult. In order to solve this problem, sprinkle some cat litter around the wheels of the truck. The litter absorbs extra moisture and improves the wheel’s grip on the ground. This can help you exit a car park faster and safer, when your tyres are inclined to “stick” to a snowy or icy surface.
Be extremely careful when driving on bridges or highway crossings.
During the winter, it is important to keep in mind that higher road structures can be extremely unsafe. This is because bridges and highway crossings freeze much more quickly than highways or ordinary roads. When driving on such roads, it is important to reduce your speed and be more careful in order to avoid accidents.
This is also a very important consideration for those whose routes often cross mountainous areas. You will need to drive very carefully on the mountain roads, because this is where extremely windy areas or very slippery stretches can hit you unexpectedly. On these roads, always drive slowly, do not make sudden manoeuvres and stay extremely vigilant.
