Tips For Safely Driving In Bad Weather

While we don’t have much snow and ice to speak of, Bay Area drivers should be prepared for fog as well as wet and rainy conditions. Driving safely in bad weather requires preparation, patience, and restraint. Driving as if the sun is shining and the roads are dry is a recipe for auto accident disaster. In addition to putting yourself and passengers at risk, failing to drive safely when roads are wet puts you at risk of endangering others.

Driving In Bad Weather: Preparation, Patience, and Restraint

Here are tips that will keep you and others safe, regardless of Mother Nature’s weather patterns.

SAFETY FIRST!

The first rule of thumb: Never drive if weather warnings advise otherwise. Unless it’s an absolute emergency, any traveling plans should be postponed until safe driving conditions. 

Be Prepared

Preparation is the foundation of meeting weather head-on. The more prepared you are, the better and more safely you’ll handle bad weather conditions.

Have copies of essential contacts in the glove compartment

We appreciate that phones have everything they need. However, batteries die, wet weather kills phones, and accidents may render you or others less capable of remembering passwords or important contacts in the event of an emergency. 

We recommend keeping a list of essential contacts in your glove compartment as well as in your emergency roadside kit (see below). Examples include:

• Names and numbers of anyone who should be contacted and aware of injuries or hospital transport (spouse, parents, friends who can take kids, etc.)
• Insurance company
• Preferred towing or roadside assistance company
• Health insurance information
• Healthcare provider contacts
• Veterinary contact if pets travel with you

The police or other first responders can support you by enlisting help from your most trusted family members and healthcare providers.

Maintain your vehicle as per the manufacturer’s instructions when driving in bad weather

Being stranded on the side of the road in inclement weather is not only frustrating and uncomfortable, but it’s also dangerous. As a towing company offering professional roadside assistance, we’ve seen horrible accidents caused when vehicles and people were struck while waiting on the side of the road. 

In our post, Maintaining This Vehicle Maintenance, we cover vehicle maintenance basics. These maintenance tips enhance the performance of your car and help to eliminate breakdowns and ensure your vehicle is prepared for multiple weather situations. 

Some of the most important of these tips include:

• Observe regular oil changes
• Ensure coolant fluids are topped off (equally important in both hot and cold weather)
• Rotate tires and learn to check your tire pressure
• Replace brakes when your tire service provider recommends it
• Make sure tires are up to winter weather standards
• Check and replace windshield wipers as needed on both front and rear windows (often offered for a reasonable fee from oil change service providers)
• Verify that headlights, brake lights, emergency flashers, fog lamps, and blinkers are working as they should

These essential vehicle maintenance tips go a long way toward keeping you safe in any type of weather

Keep an emergency roadside kit in your trunk

We think of “bad weather” as foggy, rainy, snowy, or icy. However, hot, dry weather poses its own threats, the most common being overheating vehicles. By outfitting your emergency roadside kit, you’ll have everything you need to be as visible as possible to passing cars, first responders, or your tow truck company. Plus, you’ll be able to keep yourself and your passengers as comfortable, hydrated, and safe as possible.

Some of the most important items to have access to include are:

• Jumper cables
• Extra coolant
• Flashlights or headlamps with extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Potable water
• Blankets
• Flares or flashing lights
• An atlas or maps (in case the phone battery is dead)
• Snacks with a long shelf life, such as granola bars, jerky, fruit snacks, and nuts

If you travel with pets regularly, ensure the emergency roadside kit accommodates their needs as well as water/food bowls, a bag of kibble, and extra drinking water.

Observe Patience And Restraint While Driving 

Bad weather conditions require a different way of driving. The DMV Handbook reminds us that on wet roads, speeds of 50 mph or more are apt to make tires lose contact with the road, putting you at risk for hydroplaning - which is like sliding on the surface of the water rather than ice.

You should drive much slower than usual and leave more than the typical distance between you and other cars.  The current rule of thumb is about one car length for every ten mph you’re traveling. In bad weather, you should increase this to at least twice that to accommodate drivers who are not as cautious.

We recommend visiting the DMV Handbook online and reviewing their instructions for driving safely in bad weather. They cover specific instructions for every type of weather or climate-related condition, such as:

• Water on the road (travel at least 5 to 10 mph slower than usual)
• Slippery roads (drive slower and remember not to hit the brakes if you begin to slide)
• High winds (reduce speed and keep a firm grip on the wheel to compensate for the wind’s force and gusts)
• Fog or heavy smoke (slow down, use headlights - low beams only - and fog lights, use windshield wipers to reduce moisture in fog)
• Sunglare (keep windshield clean, use polarized lenses, and be extra cautious of pedestrians and cyclists)

The DMV’s list is comprehensive and goes beyond these bad weather driving conditions to check it out to refresh your memory.

J&T Towing Is Here To Help!

Has bad weather got you in a roadside pickle? J&T Towing is the Bay Area’s trusted towing and roadside assistance company. Contact us anytime, and one of our friendly team members will be there to assist you - 24/7 and rain or shine. (707) 356-4613.