Surviving Mother Nature’s Wrath
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Tips and tricks on how to deal with winter’s fury By Tessa Mattison
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Preparing to drive in winter conditions- Driving in the winter can be especially dangerous, this is how to avoid the worst.
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The National Safety Council recommends preparing your car by: - Scheduling any maintenance due for your car - Checking your battery (the power falls with the temperature) - Checking the cooling system - Investing in good winter tires (deeper and more flexible) - Checking the tread of all-season tires, if your car uses them (if it’s less than 2/32 of an inch, replace them) - Checking the tire pressure (same as your battery, the pressure falls with the temperature) - Checking your wiper blades - Using wiper fluid made for -30 degrees (only while the weather is cold) - Avoiding a gas line freeze by keeping your tank half full at all times - Making sure that your car’s emergency preparedness kit is full Before you hit the road, the National Safety Council recommends: - Making sure there is no blockage on your sensors - Warming your car up - Never leaving your car run while in a garage (door open or not) to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning - Checking the weather before - If it looks like the weather may become dangerous, leave at a different time - If you must leave, tell someone where you are headed and the route you’ll take in case you end up in an accident
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Coach Cassiday suggests to “clean your car completely off” This includes: - The camera lenses and mirrors - The windows (clear of snow, frost, or ice)
To drive as safe as possible, AAA recommends: - Not using cruise control when the roads are unsafe - If you begin to skid, steer the wheel in the same direction your back tires are going (usually the opposite of what your front tires are doing) - When speeding up or slowing down, do so at a slow pace - Avoid stopping when driving uphill - If it becomes too difficult to see, pull off to a safe spot and wait out the weather Deputy Richmond recommends: - To “slow down” - Be “attentive to other cars in the distance, watch to make sure their car isn’t losing control” Coach Cassiday recommends: - To “only drive if necessary” - Also to “drive slower than normal” - “Increase following distance” - “Avoid heavy acceleration going uphill” - “Avoid hard braking going downhill” - To have a “full tank of gas” Levi Roach, senior, has experienced the effects of dangerous weather first hand. He said that if he could’ve changed one thing, it would be that he “had new tires.”
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Staying safe duringa winter storm
Here’s how to prepare, act, and recover when a winter storm hits. Before the storm hits, the Center for Disease Control recommends: - Insulating your water lines, walls, and attic - Repairing any areas that could be damaged more during a storm - Placing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home (battery powered) - Creating a emergency preparedness kit for your car (see list below) - Checking weather forecasts frequently - Stocking up your home with food, water, and any other necessary supplies - Bringing your pets inside and anything that can be broken easily During the storm, the Center for Disease Control recommends: - Staying warm by using a fireplace or portable heaters - If the power goes out, using flashlights instead of candles (limits the risk of an unwanted fire) - If using a generator, placing it at least 20 feet from any openings that may come in contact with rain or snow - To keep the warmth in, avoiding opening doors and windows, close all doors whenever leaving a room, and cover windows and cracks When the storm has passed and you decide to venture outside, the Center for Disease Control recommends: - Layering up - Avoiding getting your layers wet (wet clothes steals heat from your body) - Learning the signs of hypothermia: shivering, tiredness, confusion and memory loss, and mumbling when speaking - Learning the signs of frostbite- loss of feeling and discoloration in the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, and toes. Those areas usually turn a white or grayish hue and the skin feels firm or waxy - Avoiding walking on ice or walk slowly - Avoiding overworking yourself
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Staying safe in a broken down car Driving in the winter can be especially dangerous, this is how to avoid the worst.
Allstate recommends having an emergency preparedness kit full of:
- First aid kit and any medications - Flashlight and back-up batteries - Cellphone and, fully charged, portable charger - Jumper cables - Snow and ice scraper with a brush (most come with both) - Thick blanket or sleeping bag - Tire chains or tow straps - Extra warm and thick clothes - Small snow shovel - Kitty litter or a bag of sand (a tip from Coach Cassiday)
While waiting for help, Allstate recommends-
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Once in a safe spot, calling for help from either 911 or a nearby friend/ family member Staying in your vehicle to - ensure a better chance of being found - remove the risk of becoming hurt or disoriented - remove risk of becoming lost Making your car as visible as possible by: - turning your hazards on - raising the car’s hood, after the snow has stopped - tying a bright piece of fabric to your car’s antenna Also making sure to: - Keep warm by doing light exercises, huddling with any passengers, covering yourself in any available layers, and run the engine for 10 minutes every hour (running it longer will create a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning) - Drink fluids to avoid dehydration, which will rise the risk of health hazards
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featureu november | december 2021 u the viewpoint u23
