(PRESS RELEASE) Wauseon, OH – The Fulton County Health Department (FCHD) knows that we will have to do some winter driving at some point this season and Northwest Ohio winters can produce various road conditions all in one week!
Driving in ice and snow conditions can be very challenging. Here are some tips from AAA to arrive at your destination safely.
Tips for Driving in the Snow
- Stay home. Only go out if necessary. Even if you can drive well in bad weather, it’s better to avoid taking unnecessary risks by venturing out.
- Drive slowly. Always adjust your speed down to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice.
- Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry and take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
- Increase your following distanceto five to six seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
- 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. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
Additionally, Ohio law requires headlights to be on at any time when the windshield wipers of the vehicle are in use.
If your vehicle has automatic headlights, make sure they are on, they may not come on during the daylight hours.
During the winter of 2021-22 , there were 12,939 crashes on snow, ice or slush covered roads in Ohio “It is important that drivers plan ahead, use extra caution and slow down during winter weather,” said Rachel Kinsman, Fulton County Safe Communities Coordinator. “Remaining calm and taking your time can help keep you and your passengers safe.”
Concerned about traffic safety in Fulton County? We invite you to join us at our next FC Safe Communities meeting, contact Rachel Kinsman / Karen Pennington at 419.337.0915 for more details. Check us out on Facebook @FCsafecommunities