How to Drive in the Cold, Wintry Months

Bridgestone/Firestone worked with IMSA and SCCA championship race car driver Peter Cunningham (also a three-time national ice driving champion), in developing these safe winter driving safety tips. 

During winter months, keep abreast of weather reports in your area. If snow or ice is predicted, make plans to leave early or arrive later. An alarm clock set to an earlier time can be a good friend in helping you avoid difficulties.

If you can move a night trip to daylight hours, do so. Not only is visibility better, but if your vehicle is stalled, you are more likely to receive prompt assistance during the daytime.

Prepare your vehicle for winter driving; use this checklist:

1. Check windshield wiper blades to make sure they work properly. In some areas, snow blades are an effective alternative to conventional wiper blades.

2. Have your mechanic test the anti-freeze/coolant to provide the correct level of protection required in your driving area.

3. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Underinflation can reduce the gripping action of tires because the tread will not meet the road surface as it was designed to do. Overinflation has the same effect.

4. If you live in areas where snow and ice are certainties of winter, don't depend on all season tires. Instead, install snow tires.  Snow tires are made of softer components and have a unique tread design that provide better traction and road-gripping abilities.

5. Keep your gas tank at least half-full. The extra volume can help reduce moisture problems within your fuel system. It also adds helpful weight to your vehicle.

6. In rear-wheel drive vehicles, extra weight in the trunk may be helpful. Use care-- unsecured weight can shift while you are moving or if you have to stop suddenly. Bags of sand can provide weight and, if sprinkled on the ice, sand helps provide traction.

• Before you leave your driveway, scrape the ice and snow from every window and the exterior rear view mirrors, not just a small patch on the windshield. Don't forget to remove snow from headlights and brake lights.
  

• Try to remove ice and snow from your shoes before getting in your vehicle. As they melt, they create moisture build-up, causing windows to fog on the inside. You can reduce this fogging by turning the air recirculation switch to the OFF position. This brings in drier, fresh air. Also, run your air conditioner which becomes a dehumidifier for a few minutes.
  
  
• You and your passengers should all use safety belts, both lap and shoulder straps.
  
  
• Adjust head rests. Rear-end collisions are common in winter driving and a properly-adjusted head rest can prevent or reduce neck injuries.
  
  
• Before you shift into gear, plan the best route to your destination. Try to Avoid hills, congestion areas and bridges.
  
  
• Although your radio can provide helpful traffic information, it can also be a distraction for some drivers. Since driving is more a mental skill than a physical skill, you may want to keep it turned off.
  
  
• Don't use a cellular phone when driving on ice or snow. Even if you have a hands-free model, you need to concentrate on driving, not on a telephone conversation.
  
  
• Drive slowly and remember posted speed limits identify the maximum speed allowed in ideal weather conditions. Law enforcement agencies can write citations to motorists driving the posted speed limit if weather conditions warrant a slower speed. Be alert to the actions of other drivers.
  
  
• Anticipate cars coming from side streets and put extra distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. If someone is too close behind you, don't speed up; slow down or let them go around you.
  
  
• To make sure other drivers see you, always drive with your lights on. At night, in fog and heavy snow conditions, low beams may be more effective than high beams.

• Keep a light touch on the brakes. Even with anti-lock braking systems (sometimes called ABS), apply light pressure to avoid locking the brakes and causing a skid. Pumping the brake pedal should be smooth action, going from light to firm. Tip toe to slow is a good motto for winter drivers.
  
  
• Keep both hands on the wheel and keep the wheel pointed where you want your car to go. While it may sound overly simple, it could help you in a skid. While manual transmissions may provide greater control to assist with braking, be careful when using downshifting as a way to slow the vehicle. Gear changes, particularly abrupt ones, can upset a vehicle's balance and cause a skid to occur, especially in turns.
  
  
• Keep your vehicle stocked with simple emergency equipment in case you do get stalled or have an accident. Consider keeping these items in your vehicle:

- blanket or extra clothes
- candle with matches
- snacks
- beverages (never alcohol)
- flares
- C. B. radio, cellular phone or ham radio
- a small shovel
- flashlight
- windshield scraping device
- tow rope
- bag of sand or cat litter for traction
- long jumper cables
(for more on building a winter emergency kit, click here.)

If you do have trouble, run the engine only briefly to run the heater, not continuously. Carbon monoxide can accumulate more easily in a non-moving vehicle.

Severe engine damage may occur if the motor runs for long periods when the vehicle is not in motion. Warming up a car prior to travel is a common practice, but most engines don't need more than a minute at most to circulate oil to all internal parts. Check your vehicle's owner's manual for information about your engine.

Permit Phase Drivers Age 15

• Parent/guardian consent required to obtain an instruction permit.
• Must be enrolled in an approved driver education course, and must pass vision and written exams.
• A nighttime driving restriction is in place Sunday-Thursday, 10 p.m-6 a.m., and Friday-Saturday, 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (local curfews may differ from the nighttime driving restriction).
• Permit must be held for a minimum of nine months.
• Must practice driving a minimum of 50 hours, including 10 hours of nighttime driving, supervised by a parent or adult age 21 or older with a valid driver's license.
• Must not acquire any driving convictions during the nine-month permit phase.
• Number of passengers limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.
• All occupants under age 19 must wear safety belts.
• Cell phone use while driving is prohibited except in the case of an emergency to contact a law enforcement agency, health care provider or emergency services agency.
• Permit is valid for up to two years.

Sanctions

• Limit of one court supervision for serious driving offenses. To obtain court supervision, driver must appear in person before the presiding court with a parent or legal guardian and must also attend traffic safety school.
• Conviction of a moving violation results in a nine-month waiting period before applying for a driver's license.
• Not eligible for any hardship permit.
• Anyone caught driving without a permit will be ineligible to obtain a driver's license until age 18.

Initial Licensing Phase - Drivers Age 16-17

• Parent/guardian must certify that a minimum of 50 hours of practice driving, including 10 hours of nighttime driving, has been completed.
• Parent/guardian must accompany teen to provide written consent to obtain a driver's license, OR complete and notarize an Affidavit/Consent For Minor to Drive form.
• Must have completed a state-approved driver education course.
• A nighttime driving restriction is in place Sunday-Thursday, 10 p.m-6 a.m., and Friday-Saturday, 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (local curfews may differ from the nighttime driving restriction).
• Must maintain a conviction-free driving record for six months prior to turning age 18 before moving to the Full Licensing Phase. A traffic conviction during the initial licensing phase may extend restrictions beyond age 18.
• All occupants under age 19 must wear safety belts.
• For the first year of licensing, or until the driver is age 18, whichever occurs first, the number of passengers is limited to one person under age 20, unless the additional passenger(s) is a sibling, step-sibling, child, or step-child of the driver. After this period, the number of passengers is limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.
• Cell phone use while driving is prohibited except in the case of an emergency to contact a law enforcement agency, health care provider or emergency services agency.

Sanctions

• Limit one court supervision for serious offenses. To obtain court supervision, a driver must appear in person before the presiding court with a parent or legal guardian and must also attend traffic safety school.
• Conviction of any moving violation before age 18 generates a Secretary of State warning letter to the parent and teenager.
• Two moving violation convictions occurring within a 24-month period results in a minimum one-month driver's license suspension. Suspension length is determined by the seriousness of the offenses and the driver's prior driving history. An additional driver's license suspension will result for each subsequent moving violation following the initial suspension.
• Any moving violation conviction that occurs within the first year of licensure will result in a six-month extension of the passenger limitation, which allows no more than one unrelated passenger under age 20.
• Suspended drivers are required to attend a remedial education course, may be retested and must pay a $70 reinstatement fee.

Full Licensing Phase - Drivers 18-20

• No age-related restrictions apply except in cases where a driver fails to move from the Initial Licensing Phase to the Full Licensing Phase. Cell phone use while driving for persons under age 19 is prohibited except in the case of an emergency to contact a law enforcement agency, health care provider or emergency services agency.

Sanctions

• Limit one court supervision for serious offenses.
• Two moving violation convictions occurring within a 24-month period results in a minimum one-month driver's license suspension. Suspension length is determined by the seriousness of the offenses and the driver's prior driving history. An additional driver's license suspension will result for each subsequent moving violation following the initial suspension.
• Suspended drivers are required to pay a $70 reinstatement fee.

If you are pulled over on suspicion of DWI, the officer will require you to take a breathalyser, urine or coordination test. Any refusal to submit will be used against you at trial. For a complete review of state-by-state administrative laws, illegal BAC levels and sanctions, consult the NHTSA website, "Traffic Safety Facts."

In some states, hospitals can forward BAC levels of ER patients to the police, who would otherwise have no probable cause for arrest. Doctor-patient confidentiality is waived and police need not request the information.

Legislatively, on average 200 DWI-related bills are passed each year, and the Department of Transportation awards grant monies to encourage states to enact and enforce countermeasures and prevention programs, such as administrative license revocation, graduated licensing, programs to prevent alcohol sales to minors, sobriety checkpoints and programming to target high-risk populations.

Along with prevention programs, sanctions for repeat offenders have proliferated, including: electronic monitoring and home confinement, intensive supervision probation, license plate tagging, ignition interlock, special DWI incarceration facilities and stiffer fines and sentences for drivers with high BAC levels.

Coffee, cold showers, and other attempts to stimulate an intoxicated person for driving will only wake him up; they can’t sober him up. His blood alcohol concentration remains unchanged and his judgment remains impaired.

Only the PASSAGE OF TIME can reduce a BAC level at the rate of .02% BAC per hour.

The only way to insure that your driving is not impaired is to refrain from drinking or to designate a sober driver. If you are 21 or older and choose to drink, exercise responsible judgment: don’t drink if you intend to drive. Know how to protect others from poor decisions, and recognize impaired driving behaviors.

REDUCE YOUR RISK OF DROWSINESS

Lifestyle Habits. Eat light. Exercise regularly. Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Every time you miss sleep, catch up immediately.

Plan Journeys. Before a trip, get a good night’s sleep. Leave early in the morning and stop driving around sunset, or as early as possible, to reduce night-time driving. Drive with a passenger who can alert you to fatigue, talk to you, and share the driving. Schedule stops every 100 miles or two hours. Hunger can make you angry and turn you into an aggressive driver. Don’t eat junk or high-fat foods. Keep caffeinated and sugar-laden snacks in the car for short-term energy. Chocolate covered espresso beans can help you make it to the next rest area.

Direct Intervention. Recognize and don’t ignore symptoms of drowsiness. Pull over to a safe rest area; stop for a break, a 20-minute nap, or for the night. Two cups of coffee take 30 minutes to enter your bloodstream, then provide short term alertness.

Don’t drink alcohol or take medications.

Drowsiness is a condition most drivers fail to recognize, or believe they can overcome. Without enough sleep the body suffers from “sleep deficit,” which can only be overcome by SLEEP!

Sleepiness results from physical labor or working long hours; a progressive withdrawal of attention; interruptions of sleep; and untreated or unrecognized sleep disorders. Sleepiness is induced by repetitive actions of long distance drivers, driving without a break and by the stress of tough road conditions and bad weather. Heavy food, alcohol, sedatives, antidepressants and antihistamines induce sleep. Open windows and loud music do not reduce fatigue.

TEENS DIE : KNOW WHY !

Car crashes are the leading killer of 15 - 20 year olds. Teens crash more because: they are inexperienced drivers; are immature; have less understanding of danger; take more risks; experiment with drugs and alcohol; and pattern their behavior for social acceptance and conformity. Teens are less apt to wear safety belts than children and adults and are more apt to speed. In a crash, they are usually at fault. They suffer higher fatality rates when driving with their peers.

Graduated Licensing Programs typically involves a two or three step process that introduces teens to full driving privileges.

Most states require minimal in car training and experience. Apart from responsible parental involvement in their teen’s learning process, the single-most effective tool in reducing teen death is graduated licensing (GDL). Consisting of mandatory driver education, behind-the-wheel demonstrations and parent involvement, graduated licensing programs are designed to reduce risk exposure while enabling new drivers to develop proficiency. In the states where they are in practice, GDL programs have significantly reduced crash-related teen deaths and injuries.

These steps permit new drivers to develop their judgment and skills over a greater period of time. They permit greater in-car training during daytime and night time and provide ample motivation for teens to develop and practice safe driving habits. Upon demonstrating responsible driving behavior, restrictions are gradually suspended, however they may be reinstated if teens are convicted of serious offenses. This way, teens achieve more maturity before gaining a full and unrestricted license.

Children under 5, weighing less than 40 pounds or shorter than 44 inches in height, should ride in achild safety seat. Children weighing 40-80 lbs and 40 to 55 inches in height should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat.

Properly fitting lap and shoulder belts reduce the potential for belt-induced injury which occurs where lap or lap/shoulder belt is a small child’s only restraint.

The child safety seat should be attached to the inside body of the car by a rear seatbelt, and anchored with a tether.

If no child safety seat is available, children should use the safety belt, which is safer than riding unrestrained. The safest place in the car for a child is in the back seat.

Do not place children in rear facing child seats in the front seat of cars equipped with passenger-side air bags. The impact of a deploying air bag striking a rear-facing child seat could result in injury to the child. Children 12 and under should sit in the rear seat away from the force of a deploying air bag.

Adults should not hold children on their laps. In a collision, they could crush their children, or the child could be torn from their arms and thrown about the car.

Children should not ride in the luggage section of a station wagon or in the hatchback. Keep hatchbacks closed when children ride in the back seat, to prevent ejection or possible carbon monoxide poisoning.