Winter Road Hazards

Generally speaking, driving in the winter is more dangerous than driving during the warm summer months. Of course, the roads can be dangerous during any time of year, so you always need to be alert and attentive, but winter conditions lend themselves to more hazards than any other season.

In this article, we’d like to discuss some of the common winter road hazards you might encounter in your travels around northern Idaho and beyond. By knowing what to look for, you will hopefully be able to make smart choices and stay out of trouble on your way to each new destination.

Slippery Roads

This is the obvious one, so we might as well start here. When driving in cold winter conditions, you will likely experience slippery road surfaces from time to time. No matter what kind of vehicle you are driving, and no matter what kind of tires are fitted to that vehicle, you need to proceed with caution when the roads are slippery.

As you gain more experience driving in a cold winter climate like the one here in northern Idaho, you’ll learn how to handle various circumstances. For instance, when there is a lot of snow on the road, you might still have some decent traction, but low-clearance vehicles can easily get stuck. On the other hand, clearance isn’t an issue on the ice, but it can be nearly impossible to maintain control over your vehicle on an icy street.

It’s always a good idea to increase following distance to give yourself more margin for error on slippery roads. Slow down, give the cars around you as much space as possible, and pay careful attention to how your vehicle feels as you drive. If you aren’t comfortable with the situation, or you feel like you are going to lose control shortly, consider pulling over to a safe spot to either wait for better conditions or to get help.

Downed Trees

A potential problem throughout the fall and winter in the Sandpoint area, a tree that falls across the roadway is an obvious danger to any vehicle that comes upon it suddenly. While it will be pretty easy to see a tree down on the road in the middle of the day, such a hazard can be nearly invisible at night – especially if you aren’t paying close enough attention. Keep your eyes on the road and reduce your speed at night so you have plenty of time to stop if something unexpected is on the roadway.

Also, you should remember that even a small portion of a tree can be dangerous and may cause you to lose control of the vehicle if you hit it. For instance, a modest branch that is across the road might be more than you want to roll over at full speed. Look for an opportunity to go around it, or even move it out of the way, if it is safe to do so and no other traffic is around.

Low Visibility

You always need to be able to see clearly while driving a motor vehicle. Even with good headlights and quality windshield wipers, some winter conditions can create problems with visibility that are hard to overcome. A heavy snowstorm is an obvious example of a time when it may be hard to see the road and any traffic around you, but it’s not only snow that causes a problem. You might also struggle to see clearly when rain is coming down hard, and foggy conditions may be the worst of all from a visibility perspective.

So, what should you do when visibility deteriorates and you can’t see where you are going? Pulling over to a safe place where you can wait for conditions to improve is the best bet. You simply can’t fake it when you can’t see the road – there is no way to work around this problem. With any luck, the conditions will change relatively quickly and you can get on the move again once you are able to see where you are going.

Reckless Drivers

Everything we have discussed so far falls into the category of things that you can monitor yourself and decide how to proceed. While you can’t control the weather, you can control how you respond to the conditions in terms of how fast you drive – or even if you decide to drive at all.

Unfortunately, the actions of other drivers are out of your control completely. Too many drivers fail to adjust their driving behavior when the conditions deteriorate, meaning they can wind up putting themselves and others in danger. To minimize the chances that another vehicle puts you in danger during winter driving conditions, keep the following points in mind –

• Assume the worst. Sadly, it’s best to assume that others are going to make poor decisions when the weather is bad and conditions are dangerous. For instance, instead of assuming that another vehicle is going to come to a controlled stop at an intersection, wait until they actually do so before you proceed. If they come up to the intersection too aggressively and then can’t stop in time because of slippery roads, you don’t want to be in their path.
• Follow further behind. You can’t prevent vehicles behind you from following too close, but you can at least give yourself plenty of space in front to avoid any trouble. Having more distance between you and the car in front will give you extra time to stop, and you could even steer out of the way of a collision if you lose the ability to brake. Generally speaking, increasing following distance is a good strategy in weather conditions of all kinds.
• Watch for lane changes. When someone changes lanes in winter conditions, it’s possible that they will lose control of the vehicle and start to skid or even spin out. This is even more likely if the car is traveling too fast for the conditions at hand. When you see a turn signal come on, do your best to give that vehicle extra room just in case things go wrong.

At Taylor & Sons Chevrolet, we are serious about helping our customers stay safe throughout the winter and into the spring. Whether you need some repair or maintenance on your current vehicle, or you need to shop for a new vehicle that is more suited to winter conditions, we are here to help. Contact us today or stop by our location to chat with a member of our team. Thanks for visiting!

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