Winter safety: Driving instructors provide tips for drivers old and new
Driving school instructors and educators are advising caution for drivers of all ages as winter weather continues to affect road conditions off and on throughout the season.
At Seniors For Safe Driving in Butler, office manager Desiree Simpson recommends that drivers keep the basics in mind.
"I would think the biggest thing that people overlook is to give yourself enough time to get to where you are going,” she said. “You are coming up against obstacles that you wouldn’t normally face — the ice, the slush, the anxiety of other drivers in these conditions. Above and beyond, (remember) the basics of car maintenance — you want to make sure there is no snow on the roof of your car that will obstruct your view or fly off the top and obstruct the view of the person behind you.”
Other basics, like not texting and driving, don’t go away in the winter either, she added.
“Slow and steady, keep your hands on the wheel, and if it is too bad, just pull over,” she said. “The best thing to do if you are beginning to feel anxious or panicky is to stop driving and gather your composure.”
Keep your distance and slow down
During winter weather, it may not be necessary, or even a good idea, to go exactly the speed limit, Simpson said.
“Even if the speed limit says 45, use your judgment — slow down, and keep enough distance between the car in front of you, so that there is a buffer,” she said. “If you’re normally following two cars behind, maybe double that or triple that.”
Kevin Lenz of Driving In A New America in Evans City echoed her advice.
“It’s pretty much common sense,” he said. “Increase your following distance and slow down — that’s the main thing that you have to follow.”
Having an all-wheel drive doesn’t exempt drivers from paying attention to driving safety, Lenz said.
“A lot of people have a sense of overconfidence when they have SUVs with all-wheel drives,” he said. “It does help when you are going forward, but it doesn’t do anything for steering or stopping. You might feel, ‘Oh, I have an all-wheel drive, so I can go a normal speed,’ but you’re going to take just as much time steering and stopping as you would with a two-wheel drive vehicle.”
Vehicle maintenance
David Wallisch, owner and lead instructor of Taught Right — Drive Safe School of Driving in Cranberry Township, encouraged drivers to keep up with “winterizing” their cars.
“Be sure you have good all-season or good winter tires with a lot of tread on them, that they’re not worn down,” he said. “Other than that, make sure you check your washer fluid frequently. You’ll use more, and you’ll get the muddy water sprayed up on your windshield. You don’t want to be up on the highway getting sprayed and run out of washer fluid.”
Tire friction is important, he said, because it affects the ability to keep the car moving in the direction you intend to.
“Obviously, go slower because there is less friction of the tire on the road,” he said. “The less amount of tire on the road, the less your ability to keep the car from sliding one way or the other when you take a turn. The more snow on the road, the slower you go — that’s fairly obvious.”
Lenz recommended keeping ice scrapers in the car, even if parking in a garage is available.
“Even if you park in the garage and you don’t think about putting that in your car, if you go to a movie theater and come out you might end up scraping off your windshield with your bare hands,” he said.
Simpson recommended that drivers venturing out in winter weather keep a supply kit in their car for emergencies.
“In case you are stuck on the interstate or turnpike, it’s good to have a flashlight with batteries, a couple of blankets, and case of water or some snacks,” she said. “Things like that that can hold you over if you are stranded for some time, along with a first aid kit.”
Teaching new drivers
Both Lenz and Wallisch encouraged parents and new drivers trying to get practice driving in winter conditions to do so in an area where they won’t have to deal with traffic or parked cars.
“For new people, it would be good to practice in an open area like a parking lot,” Wallisch said.
Lenz said his school avoids taking new students out in hazardous winter conditions for safety reasons, but that parents and outside instructors would do well to find a safe environment to teach snow driving.
“If there is snow on the ground and you want to give your child some experience driving in that type of environment, don’t go out on a congested street where there is a lot of traffic,” he said.
