Frank Neary, AAA Traffic Safety Specialist, recently gave a Winter Driving Safety presentation to Somerset County Library System of NJ employees that was organized by and held at the Bridgewater branch. The Lunch & Learn offered tips for driving during inclement weather conditions, preparing your car for winter, recognizing danger zones, braking (or avoiding braking) on slick surfaces and getting unstuck. It also included distracted driving and other related topics.
The presentation is part of RideWise’s Safety, Sustainability and Workplace Wellness programming for Somerset County employers. To learn more about Employer Services, including free programs, please contact staff@ridewise.org.
Here are some of AAA’s winter driving safety tips:
- Drive slowly and accelerate/decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids.
- Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
- Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling.
- Don’t power up hills and don’t stop when going uphill. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads will make your wheels spin. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly.
