ALT-1 Causes of Dangerous Winter Road Conditions
The scenery in winter can be beautiful. Snow and ice covered roads and highways, however,are a little less appealing. In fact, there are many road hazards in the winter months that need to be taken seriously every time you get behind the wheel.Snowy roads are never pleasant to drive on. In some conditions, the snow may actually pile up faster than the snowplows can remove it, or, the wind may be causing drifting. When driving on snow, the danger may be more than just becoming stuck. Encountering large drifts, especially at a high rate of speed, or at night with limited visibility, can send the car off the road completely, into a pole, tree, ditch, or another car.Ice is even more unpleasant to drive on than snow. While you may only be in danger of becoming stuck in deep snow, ice can limit control of the vehicle severely. Nothing is more frightening than losing control and being unable to steer, or determine where your vehicle will end up. While icy roads are normally fairly apparent, black ice is virtually invisible until it is too late.Whiteouts, caused by heavy, blowing snow are the cause of as many accidents as ice. When you absolutely cannot see where you are going, you may drive off the road, or in the path of another vehicle. This situation, especially at night, is one of the most frightening and dangerous. It is a good idea to always pull off the road if you can find a safe area, and never use your bright lights since this only increases the reduced visibility.Iced over windows, and slushy, messy windshields produce reduced visibility and make for dangerous driving. Windows do need to be cleaned before setting out on the road, and windshield washer fluids should always be kept topped up.You may very well know how to drive in even the worst winter conditions, but there are those that don’t. Drivers that insist on speeding and passing you on solid ice, pull out in front of you and spin out, or tailgate, are all accidents waiting to happen. Be aware of everyone around you, and give them plenty of room. Get over and let them pass. You will probably be seeing them again down the road, in the ditch.Accidents with one or two cars can escalate into a chain reaction event involving many cars very quickly. Be aware of what is happening some distance down the road. Slow down well in advance, if there seems to be an accident, but don’t slow down so much to gawk that you produce another road hazard yourself.Driving in winter can be stressful and less than a relaxing experience. Taking precautions and using some common sense, however, can give you a better chance of getting to your destination safely.
