Winter Driving Preparation and Safety

Air Date: 11/10/2003

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The leading cause of death during winter storms is transportation accidents. Preparing your vehicle for the winter season and knowing how to react if stranded or lost on the road are the keys to safe winter driving.

Prepare Your Vehicle

Reliable transportation is especially important in the winter. Not only should you keep your in top operating condition all year round - for safety and fuel economy, it is especially important to get it winterized to avoid any unpleasant or dangerous situation while traveling in frigid weather.

• Check your battery, belts, hoses, radiator, coolant/anti-freeze, oil, wiper fluid, lights, brakes, exhaust system, wipers and ignition system
• Always fill the fuel tank before entering open country, even for a short distance, and stop to fill-up before the tank begins to run low. Keeping your tank as full as possible will minimize condensation, providing the maximum advantage in case of trouble.
• Make sure that you can see clearly around your vehicle. Clear all snow from the hood, roof, widows and lights.
• A Citizens Band (CB) radio and/or cellular phone can be very useful to you or another stranded motorist in case of an emergency.

Prepare The Driver

Drivers should plan ahead before heading out into bad weather.

• Get plenty of rest before you leave. Avoid consumption of alcohol or medications that may make you drowsy or reduce your reaction time.
• Wear your seat belt and ensure that young children are properly positioned in child car seats and booster seats. Remember, Children 12 and under should be properly buckled up in the back seat.
• Check weather and road conditions before you leave.

Nevada Road Conditions

1-877-NVROADS (1-877-687-6237)

California Highway Information

1-800-427-ROAD (7623)
Outside California (916) 445-7623

• Plan your route and let someone know which way you’ll be traveling, your destination and expected arrival time, especially when driving long distances. If you don’t turn up after a reasonable delay, people will know where to search for you.
• Try to keep to the main roads and drive with caution, measuring your speed to road and weather conditions.
• Wear warm clothes that do not restrict movement.

Defensive Driving Tips

• Clear all windows and lights of frost and snow before departing, use the defrost systems regularly to enhance visibility
• Drive with your headlights on
• Avoid passing another vehicle if possible, when weather and road conditions are bad.

Winter Car Kit

Prepare your car with these items before a road trip:

• Flashlights with extra batteries
• First aid kit with pocket knife
• Necessary medications
• Several blankets
• Sleeping bags
• Extra newspapers for insulation
• Plastic bags (for sanitation)
• Matches
• Extra set of mittens, socks, and a wool cap
• Rain gear and extra clothes
• Small sack of sand for generating traction under wheels
• Small shovel
• Small tools (pliers, wrench, screwdriver)
• Jumper cables
• Set of tire chains or traction mats
• Cards, games, and puzzles
• Brightly colored cloth to use as a flag
• Canned fruit and nuts
• Nonelectric can opener
• Bottled water
• Road flares

If Trapped In Your Car During A Blizzard

• Stay in the car. Do not leave the car to search for assistance unless help is visible within 100 yards. You may become disoriented and lost is blowing and drifting snow.
• Display a trouble sign.
• Hang a brightly colored cloth on the radio antenna and raise the hood.
• Occasionally run engine to keep warm.
• Turn on the car's engine for about 10 minutes each hour. Run the heater when the car is running. Also, turn on the car's dome light when the car is running.
• Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow, and open a downwind window slightly for ventilation.
• Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.
• Do minor exercises to keep up circulation. Clap hands and move arms and legs occasionally. Try not to stay in one position for too long. If more than one person is in the car, take turns sleeping.
• For warmth, huddle together.
• Use newspapers, maps, and even the removable car mats for added insulation.
• Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart.
• Unaccustomed exercise such as shoveling snow or pushing a car can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse. Be aware of symptoms of dehydration.
• Use road flares to draw attention. Road flares can be lit when wet and will burn in wet or icy conditions.

Wind Chill

"Wind chill" is a calculation of how cold it feels outside when the effects of temperature and wind speed are combined. A strong wind combined with a temperature of just below freezing can have the same effect as a still air temperature about 35 degrees colder.

Frostbite and Hypothermia

• Frostbite is a severe reaction to cold exposure that can permanently damage its victims. A loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in fingers, toes, or nose and ear lobes are symptoms of frostbite
• Hypothermia is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops to less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, slow speech, memory lapses, frequent stumbling, drowsiness, and exhaustion
• If frostbite or hypothermia is suspected, begin warming the person slowly and seek immediate medical assistance. Warm the person's trunk first. Use your own body heat to help. Arms and legs should be warmed last because stimulation of the limbs can drive cold blood toward the heart and lead to heart failure
• Put person in dry clothing and wrap their entire body in a blanket
• Never give a frostbite or hypothermia victim something with caffeine in it (like coffee or tea) or alcohol. Caffeine, a stimulant, can cause the heart to beat faster and hasten the effects the cold has on the body. Alcohol, a depressant, can slow the heart and also hasten the ill effects of cold body temperatures.

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