How to Keep Yourself Safe While Driving in the Winter 4395 Route 130 South Burlington, NJ 08016 Sales: 877.689.6755 1 How to Keep Yourself Safe While Driving in the Winter Highway Safety is a Very Real Concern During All Seasons ............................................................ 3 10 Things to Have in Your Trunk this Winter .................................................................................. 4 How to Get your Car Out of the Snow if It’s Stuck ......................................................................... 5 Top 7 Defensive Driving Maneuvers for Winter Conditions ........................................................... 6 Common Winter Driving Hazards & How to Handle Them ............................................................ 7 The 3 Best Tires for Winter Driving ................................................................................................. 8 The Best Jeep for Year-Round Driving: Grand Cherokee…………………………………………………………….9 2 How to Keep Yourself Safe While Driving in the Winter Highway Safety is a Very Real Concern During All Seasons 7,630 died car accidents during the first quarter of 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This figure was up 13.5% compared to the same time period during 2011. During winter, we know driving only becomes more treacherous. Even though you live in an area where thick snow is expected for several months every year, fatal accidents still happen frequently throughout the season. At Dodge Chrysler Jeep City, we want to make sure you stay safe during the winter months, even if you haven’t bought a new car from us. If you have purchased a new vehicle, we want to make sure you and the vehicle both go unharmed throughout the season. So, we’ve compiled this guide, along with a recommendation for a good all-weather Jeep, to help ensure your safety. Enjoy reading this eBook, and be sure to pass it along to your family and friends if you find it useful! 3 How to Keep Yourself Safe While Driving in the Winter 10 Things to Have in Your Trunk this Winter Okay, so maybe winter so far this year has been a little warmer than we’re used to. But, at some point, you know we are going to get those intense storms and sub-zero wind chills. If you are like most people, you probably aren’t thinking too hard about bad things that could happen while driving in the winter. You’re used to having someone nearby able to help you basically anywhere you go. What happens if you are in one of those situations where no one can help for hours? Fortunately, you can prepare ahead of time for any trouble you might experience this winter. Essentials You Should Have In no particular order, here are the 10 things you should have in your trunk this winter: 1. Blankets – Having several warm, thick blankets in your car can mean the difference between getting a little chilled and severely frostbitten. If your car gets stuck in a deep snow bank, always make sure you have enough blankets to keep you and all of your passengers warm. 2. Spare, charged prepaid phone – Keep this wrapped up in the blankets to prevent damage in the event of a crash. Just in case you forgot your cell phone, or if it’s battery is dead, you will be able to call 911 with your prepaid phone. 3. Jumper cables – Maybe you didn’t remember to include a prepaid cell phone in your car. If that’s the case, then at least you have jumper cables available. If someone drives by, you can get yourself out of a sticky situation by flagging them down. 4. Sand/Lime – Keep a bag of either. If you slide off into a snow bank, you might be able to get yourself out. Placing a few handfuls under your wheels gives your vehicle more traction and a better chance to get out. 5. Shovel – You might bury your car so deep that lime or sand won’t get you out. Pack a shovel along to help you get out of those situations. Who knows? You might also be able to help someone else get unstuck. 6. Ice scraper – This isn’t so much for emergency situations, but you should have one if you live in a cold-weather region. Frost is a fact of life for people living in such areas, and it can take a good 30 minutes or so for it to thaw off if you rely only on your heater. 7. Tire sealant – If you notice your tire is losing air and still has a little left, tire sealant can fill the holes enough to make a trip to the nearest town possible. It works great, and takes up just a little bit of space. 8. First aid kit – If you or someone else is hurt in an accident and it will be a while before help arrives, then a first aid kit comes in helpful. Perhaps equally important is knowledge of using it – make sure you know how to apply splints, for example. 9. Dried foods – Hopefully you are never in a situation where you anticipate being stuck this long. But, if you know you will be going on a long trip to an isolated area, be sure to pack in some dried foods like beef jerky and granola. 10. Road flare – Keep this in your car, just in case you are stuck in whiteout conditions. Rescuers will have an easier time finding you, and even just a few minutes can mean the difference between discomfort and frostbite. 4 How to Keep Yourself Safe While Driving in the Winter How to Get your Car Out of the Snow if It’s Stuck Believe it or not, getting your car unstuck from the snow involves quite a science. If you don’t know how to do it, you might actually make the situation worse, keeping it stuck until a tow truck can help. Fortunately, it only takes a little knowledge to ensure you are able to get yourself out of the snow, should you bury yourself in an embankment. First, What You Shouldn’t Do Do not spin your tires! This is the first mistake inexperienced winter drivers make when they get stuck. What happens is that you will burn little holes in the snow beneath your tires. This causes two problems: Your vehicle rests on the snow beneath it, making it more difficult to get out The snow beneath your tires melts, reducing their traction What to Do If you do get stuck, put your car in reverse and press gently on the gas for no more than 3 seconds. If you don’t get out right away, then you will have to take the following actions: Ensure your tailpipe is clear of snow. If it’s not, the snow can block the exhaust fumes, causing them to go back into your car. Inhaling carbon monoxide for extended periods of time causes death, so make sure to look out for this hazard right away. Remove snow from beneath your vehicle. If your efforts so far haven’t gotten you out of the snow, then you’re probably stuck pretty good. Remove as much snow from beneath your car as is possible. Make sure to clear pathways for the tires to follow out backwards as well. Straighten your wheels. Make sure your wheels are facing straight backwards, but account also for hazards such as fire hydrants, signs, and other vehicles. Trying to reverse with the wheels turned causes some of the force to go to the side, which makes it much more difficult to get out of the snow. Place sand/lime underneath your tires to increase traction. If you’re not stuck too far in, then the additional traction from sand and lime can give your tires enough to work with to get your vehicle out. Make sure to dig your way in beneath all four tires. Ride the brakes. Sometimes, one wheel spins more than the other because it has less traction. By pressing the brakes in every slightly, you can even out the power so that both wheels are working together to pull you out of the snow. Don’t do this for any more than a few seconds, as your brakes will overheat if you do it for too long. 5 How to Keep Yourself Safe While Driving in the Winter Top 7 Defensive Driving Maneuvers for Winter Conditions “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is a popular cliché that rings true for winter driving. When it comes to reducing accidents and fatalities, prevention is always the best strategy when discussing winter driving. Here are some tips you can follow to ensure your holiday season is a safe and happy one: 1. Always drive below the speed limit. Hey lead foot, remember those signs with the numbers on them? The posted speed limit, unfortunately, does not hold true for all seasons of the year. The best rule to keep in mind is to drive 10 mph below the posted speed limit when snow is accumulating on the ground. Depending on conditions, you may have to drive much slower than that. 2. Turn only after stopping. When weather conditions are hazardous, make sure to come to a complete stop before turning. If you round the corner off like you do during the summer months, you run the risk of careening out of control into an oncoming vehicle or the snow bank. 3. Allow extra distance between yourself other drivers. The DOT usually tells you to allow 1 car length between your car and the next one for every 10 miles of speed as a rule during safe driving conditions. If it’s slippery out, allow at least double that distance.