Safety Tidbit 4.13 – Winter Driving Safety
Reference: OSHA/NHTSA Winter Driving Safety
Well, it’s not quite Thanksgiving and the first snow of the season has hit. For my friends in central New York, around Syracuse, your snow machine has been turned on so look out. For those in Mechanicsburg, PA a few of you were stranded at your offices or almost caught in your cars trying to get home. One friend said a typical 30-minute commute took nearly five hours yesterday evening. Maybe I’m a little late however, I thought a quick look at emergency planning for snow driving might be in order.
OSHA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a one-page Safe Winter Driving tips bulletin. Also, AAA has compiled a nice list of Winter Driving Tips on their Exchange website. OSHA and NHTSA promote the three P’s – Prepare, Protect, and Prevent.
Prepare – Plan your route and check, maintain your car, and my favorite practice. So, OSHA is advocating going out during daylight hours and doing donuts with your car to get a feel for how it responds? Well not exactly but they do say go to an empty lot and steer into a skid. AAA advises to ensure your car is maintained properly and not leaving your tank drop below halfway.
Protect – Seatbelts! – Seatbelts! -- Seatbelts!! Children are to be in the back seat and appropriately buckled in. Cold weather gear or blankets should be in the car.
Prevent – Practice driving in the snow, don’t accelerate up hills or brake suddenly. Don’t drink alcohol and drive in wintery weather. Slow down and allow plenty of space between you and the car in front of you.
A few items you might consider for your winter emergency kit:
· Hi-vis vest
· Blanket(s)
· Flashlight
· Energy Bar
· First Aid Kit
· Cell phone (charged)
· Portable power (charged)
· Small shovel/scraper/car broom
· Gloves/Hat/Boots
Hope this was helpful and thank you for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan
P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.
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