The weather can be unpredictable and can create extremely hazardous conditions on the road. These extreme conditions make driving dangerous and require special safety precautions. Your safety is important to , so whether you drive on company time or simply during your commute, observe these safety tips when driving turns difficult.
Rain, Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
- Turn your headlights, wipers and defroster on to increase visibility.
- Drive in the tracks of the vehicle ahead of you and reduce your speed.
- Allow increased space between your vehicle and others, and leave extra time to stop.
- If you begin to hydroplane, hold the steering wheel straight and remove your foot from the gas pedal.
- If you are caught in a thunderstorm, pull off the road in an open area and away from trees (to avoid a lightning strike).
- If you are driving in a tornado, get out of your vehicle and find shelter. If there is not a building nearby, lie in a ditch and place your arms over your head.
Winter Weather
- Always remove ice and snow from your windows, hood and headlights before departing.
- Drive with extreme caution and at slow speeds. You will need 3 to 12 times the amount of stopping distance
than you need without precipitation. - If possible, avoid bridges and overpasses since they freeze first.
- Do not brake quickly as you may spin out of control.
- If you should get stuck, straighten your wheels and accelerate at a slow pace.
Fog
- Slow down before you reach a patch of fog in front of you.
- Use only your low beams or fog lights, and put on your defroster and windshield wipers to increase visibility.
- If the fog is extremely thick, roll down all of your windows to hear other vehicles around you.
- If you cannot see the road’s edge, pull off on the right and put on your emergency flashers. Do not start driving again until you can see.
Comments are closed.