how to be safe when it’s slick

SLICK Staying safe when it’s

The student parking lot sits full on the morning of Nov. 15, the day of the school year’s first snow. When it comes to driving in cold, wet weather, two of the school’s teachers who are certified to teach Driver’s Education cautioned students to drive more defensively and to give themselves more time to get to their destinations. Photo by Aniya Sparrow

By Ian Spencer Staff Reporter

As a midwestern winter approaches, weather that can create some really tricky driving conditions comes along, slick roads, a snow-clouded field of vision and black ice are some considerable cold-weather driving concerns as black ice, a thin glazed coating of ice, while visible on foot, a driver is blind to it most of the time. This can go multiple ways, but it depends on the driver.

The driver could be speeding where black ice happens to be and slide with no control. What happens now depends on the driver, the driver could panic and naturally slam on the brakes or the driver could lightly let off the gas pedal and slide over the ice. Even though some may think it’s clear what to do, crashes like these continue to happen and it’s important that students know how to avoid trouble, like on slick roads. There’s a trick Mr. Andrew Carter, a part-time driver’s ed instructor, recommends to take advantage of your car’s gears to keep a car more stable on slippery roads.

“There’s actually other gears in your car that you could shift into like lower gears. And you know, when you shift into these lower gears, it not only keeps your car moving slower, it gives the tires more traction on slick roads,” Mr. Carter said.

When coming up to spots or just knowing potential weather that you think may give you some icy and snowy roads, switch your car to second or first gear for a safer drive. The only thing is that the driver will have to spend more time on the road then they may usually, when it comes to weather and situations where you’ll need more time. Mr. Michael Bunton, a certified driver’s ed instructor, recommends what to do.

“In this weather it’s best earlier and takes more time on the road, meaning you’ll need to take time to leave earlier going to school. Definitely, If it’s snowing, or if there’s ice, you need to make sure that you’re watching your speed and surroundings more closely,” Mr. Bunton said.

When winter comes temperatures plunge and air becomes more dense causing overall pressures to drop, subsequently, a driver may see that their tires look a little more flat than they should be. That’s because they likely are, tire pressure can decrease about 1 PSI (pounds per square inch) every 10 degrees the weather drops. In order to avoid complications, Mr. Carter recommends to consistently checking your tire pressure.

“It’s best if you check your tire pressure at least twice a month during this weather, it’s better safe than paying hundreds of dollars for a new set,“ Mr. Carter said.

Tire pressure can be simply checked with a tire pressure gauge by just briefly pressing on the stem of the tire and making sure it reaches the desired PSI of the car. Even though your tire may be full, that’s not the only thing you’ll want to worry about with your tires. Tire tread is an important factor to what keeps a car handling properly and if the tread of a tire is rubbed off can lead to some slippery situations, literally. School Resource Officer Troy Inserra explains tire pressure and tire traction aren’t the only things that should be checked.

“Make sure you check all your fluids. washer fluid, oil, gas, coolant and that there where they need to be,” Officer Inserra said.

Winter weather driving tips

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends drivers check the

following things on their car before winter weather hits:

Replace worn windshield wipers Top off windshield fluid. Make sure all lights in your vehicle are working.

Things to pack in your vehicle:

An ice scraper Jumper cables Flashlight Blankets

In an emergency:

Stay with your car. Make your car visible.