The lake-effect blizzard that hit Northeast Ohio on November 28 served as a very good reminder of the significance of winter security.
Two winter actions the place folks have to train warning embrace driving on snow and ice and shoveling snow.
In case you actually weren’t ready for any of those actions if you awoke on November 28 to search out the bottom lined in snow, don’t fret. We have got some recommendations on how one can really feel assured getting behind the wheel of your automotive and digging out your driveway when the subsequent massive snowstorm hits.
To drive safely within the winter, you have to first make sure that your automobile is ready to proceed driving by way of snow, ice, slush and chilly temperatures that may create troublesome and generally harmful driving circumstances.
Among the elements in your automobile that needs to be checked for winter readiness are:
• Tire. In areas with extreme winter climate, AAA recommends putting in snow tires on all 4 wheels to supply the perfect traction.
When temperatures constantly hover round or beneath freezing, the rubber compounds in non-winter tires harden, lowering the tire’s capacity to grip the highway, tire maker Bridgestone stated in a web based article.
• Battery. One of the vital widespread roadside help calls AAA receives throughout the winter months is for lifeless batteries. Make certain your automobile’s battery will be capable of preserve going when the temperature plummets.
• Coolant: Verify the coolant stage on the overflow tank when the engine is chilly, AAA recommends.
“If the extent is low, add a 50/50 resolution of coolant and water to take care of the required antifreeze functionality,” the group said in its winter automotive care guidelines.
• Wiper blades and fluid: Motorists ought to take into account putting in winter wiper blades as an alternative of conventional summer time wipers. Winter wiper blades wrap the body of the blade in a rubber boot to scale back ice and snow buildup that may forestall good contact between the blade and the glass, AAA defined.
Additionally monitor and add washer fluid recurrently. When shopping for washer fluid, make sure that it’s supposed for winter use by checking the knowledge on the can’s label.
Even when your automotive is in tip-top form for the winter, you continue to want to make use of secure driving methods when hitting snowy or icy roads. Put these winter driving tricks to good use:
• After beginning your automotive, make sure that to take away all snow and ice out of your entrance and rear home windows, aspect mirrors, headlights and brake lights, and the roof of your automotive.
• Speed up and decelerate slowly.
• Driving at slower speeds than on dry surfaces is vital to sustaining management on snowy or icy roads. Additionally do not forget that posted pace limits might not be good tips to comply with when snow or ice has lined a roadway.
• In case your automotive begins to skid on snow and ice, preserve your foot off the brake and steer within the course of the skid in order that your automobile regains traction.
• Improve your automobile’s following distance to six to eight seconds behind the automobile in entrance of you.
• If attainable, don’t cease your automobile whereas driving uphill.
In relation to shoveling snow, keep in mind a few of these ideas from the Minnesota Security Council:
• Aged folks or those that are comparatively inactive needs to be particularly cautious. You probably have a historical past of coronary heart issues, verify together with your physician earlier than attempting to shovel snow.
• As with every lifting exercise, use your legs, not your again. Your legs needs to be bent with a straight again. Bend and “sit” into the motion so your main muscle teams can do a lot of the work.
• Snow shoveling is a weight-lifting train that will increase your coronary heart fee and blood strain. Heat up earlier than beginning work and stretch each earlier than and after shoveling.
• By no means work to the purpose of exhaustion. Take frequent breaks. In case your chest feels tight, cease instantly.
In closing, we hope the following tips may help extra folks keep secure whereas driving or shoveling snow this winter. Each actions can show deadly, so we wished to do our half to forestall attainable casualties.