New Young Drivers: City Winter Driving Tips

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Dec 22

New Young Drivers: City Winter Driving Tips

Well, certainly winter is here. Lots of snow and slippery roads. The side roads are interesting to drive on.

It's been two days of snow falling and no Edmonton city plows in sight on the main traffic routes. Sand/salt trucks from time to time at major intersections and hills only. Side roads, other than bus routes, never get plowed.

So for you new young drivers with little or no experience driving on streets with little or no plowing and the snow mushed down to a slippery road cover, listen up.

Do not tailgate! Leave lots of room between you and the vehicle in front of you.
If someone is tailgating you, ignore them. Don't speed up.
Go slower in winter road conditions than you would normally on dry roads.
Test the road surface from time to time by applying the brakes. If it is slippery, your stopping distance is quite a bit more.
Be aware of the yahoos who think they can drive better than you in their 4x4 or 4WD SUV. They can't. They usually are the cause of collisions. (Check the news and see how many vehicles involved in collisions are trucks and SUVs.)
Be aware of vehicles entering your road from side streets. They will need more time to get up to driving speed than usual.
Leave lots of time to get to where you are going. Rushing will probably get you into a snowbank or other vehicle.

Remember: drive to road and weather conditions.

Pat Attention: unexpected surprises by other drivers may be coming your way!

That's all for now.

Have a safe driving Christmas!

Cheers - Mike

4 comments

§ Traffic Law And Substance Abuse Education Course said on : 01/19/10 @ 02:47

Driving in winter months is a bit difficult task especially for teen drivers, precautionary steps should be taken for safe driving.
§ driver indir said on : 02/15/10 @ 12:53
I read this post via the twitter feed. It was interesting to see both sides of the what will be an ongoing story.
§ Driving School Gloucester said on : 03/11/10 @ 18:22

Furthermore,decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop.You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up,ease off the brake.Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
§ tyre changers said on : 04/11/10 @ 21:40

Additionally,be careful on bridges,overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.