Drive Safely in Winter Weather

December truly marks the beginning of the winter season, which brings snow, ice and more to Oregon highways.

With these often-tricky weather situations come additional hazards when you hit the road. While in seriously stormy situations it is best to stay at home to avoid the heightened risk, sometimes we do have to venture out into snow or ice while driving.

With this in mind, we hope to share some valuable tips for motorists. Depending on your destination, before you set off on your journey you should think if you need to apply snow chains (if your vehicle doesn’t already have snowtires or studded tires mounted). In Oregon there are places where you must carry chains within your vehicle when present. You can check in advance on tripcheck.com – Snow Zone notices are labeled on the map with a white dot. Along the roadways, these areas are labeled with a yellow sign titled “Snow Zone.”

You are going to want to put these chains on if there is a thick layer of snow or treacherous ice on the road. It is important to remember that these tires are only permitted on vehicles from Nov. 1 through March 31 each winter season.

Now that your vehicle is all ready to go, it is time to consider some different driving techniques then if you were to drive on a dry road. First, make sure your following distance from cars ahead of you is greater than usual. Since ice and snow is slick, it may take longer for you to stop. Slick snow and ice are also why you need to be gentle with your acceleration and braking. Sudden starts and stops can lead you to lose control of your vehicle and possibly crash.

If you. do lose control of your vehicle, here’s what to do: You should first shift to neutral to take away any acceleration going to the wheels. Then steer in the same direction you are skidding to attempt to realign the vehicle and take control (that is, aim the front wheels right, if the car is sliding to the right).

It is very important to remember that the best way to avoid these situations is to drive slowly and carefully.

Finally, it is very possible that you and your vehicle may get stranded during a winter storm. If it is white-out conditions you will become disoriented quickly, so it is often best to stay in your vehicle. If you are far from other buildings, you also should stay in your vehicle because of the risk of hypothermia and other injuries while trying to get to a safe place.

While you are stuck in your vehicle, it is recommended to run your engine for 10 minutes every hour for heat. This will prevent you from using up all your fuel quickly. It might also help to make your vehicle as visible as possible by turning on your brights and hazard lights, although you should be careful to make sure you aren’t blinding other traffic on the road. It is important to carry a kit with all the survival essentials such as food, water, any essential medical supplies, and things to keep warm – because you might get stranded where you don’t have cellphone service, or in a spot inaccessible to rescuers. Packing these essentials could be the difference between life or death.

Again, it is important to remember that driving in winter weather is often dangerous and you shouldn’t attempt to, unless you absolutely must.