Nine Winter Driving Tips to Help You Stay Safe on the Road from the City of Statesville

As temperatures drop and winter weather moves into Statesville, road conditions can change quickly. Snow, ice, and freezing rain can create hazards even for experienced drivers. To help keep our community safe, the City of Statesville encourages all motorists to take a few extra precautions before heading out. 

Here are nine important tips to help you stay safe on the roads this winter:

1. See and be seen. Clean off all snow, ice and frost from your windshield, other windows, outside mirrors, lights and reflectors. Make sure your vehicle is equipped with good wiper blades and that wiper arms are exerting enough pressure on the blades to ensure a clean sweep. If moisture or ice builds up on the inside or outside of your windshield, stop and clean it off. Snow left on your hood or roof can blow back onto both your own car and others, temporarily blinding you and/or other drivers.

2. Tires. Tires with good, deep treads are essential for good cornering and handling on slippery roads. Check the air pressure frequently to maintain the manufacturer’s recommended pressure.

3. Get the feel of the road. Occasionally try your brakes or gently depress your accelerator while driving. When you have found out just how slippery the road is, adjust your speed accordingly. Rising temperatures greatly increase the slipperiness of ice and snow. Road conditions are most hazardous around 32ºF.

4. Stretch your “following” distance. Knowing that winter surfaces increase stopping distance three to twelve times, the smart driver increases their normal dry road following distance. Trucks require a longer stopping distance on slippery roads than passenger cars. Don’t tailgate.

5. Brake before curves. All vehicles are particularly sensitive to over-powering, over-steering, and over-braking on curves. Unseen hazards around the bend may require an evasive action, so turn your steering wheel slowly and smoothly, keep a constant speed in the turn, and squeeze your brakes carefully if it is necessary to slow down or stop.

6. Squeeze your brakes. The key to stopping under control on slippery surfaces is to avoid locking the wheels. A rapid pumping of brakes will provide short intervals of braking and of rolling wheels alternately and will enable you to maintain steering control while stopping.

7. Use proper lights. Never drive with parking lights instead of headlights in winter’s early dusk or poor visibility. Parking lights can cause an oncoming driver to think you are farther away than you really are. Keep headlights clean; dirty ones can greatly reduce your own viewing distance at night.

8. Freezing road surfaces. When the temperature nears freezing, you may encounter water on a roadway but ice on a bridge. That’s because bridge temperatures are five to six degrees colder than the rest of the road.

9. Use Caution. Take it easy. Do everything - accelerating, braking and steering - slowly.

Patience helps keep everyone safer on the road. Winter driving requires extra attention, but with preparation and safe habits, we can all help protect ourselves and one another. Stay alert, stay aware, and stay safe, Statesville!