When the official start of winter comes around, it’s time to make sure that you have everything taken care of as far as staying safe on the roads is concerned. Here are some checklists that you can use to determine if you’re ready to go when the worst weather comes around. Even though Dallas might not have very harsh winters, you never know if you’re going to want to take a road trip, and being prepared is necessary during this time of year.
At the very least, you should be able to say that the following items have been attended to:
Basic Safety Checklist
- Check tires for air pressure, tread
- Have car winterized at mechanic
- Check oil
- Check windshield washer fluid
- Check headlights
- Check brakes, including parking brake
- Fix any cracked windshield, window issues
Inside your car, particularly if you’re travelling, have the following items:
Survival Kit
- Water
- Food
- Anti-freeze for radiator
- Gas can
- Battery warmer
- Jumper cables
- Chains/cables for tires
- Kitty litter (for traction)
If you’re going to take on some tough winter driving, consider the following improvements for your vehicle
Improvements
- Get heavier wipers
- Get more aggressive tires
- Get a new battery
- Get brighter headlights
If you like to travel in the winter, it’s important to make sure that you have good snow tires on your car. Bad tires can turn a small snow storm into a crash very quickly. If you’re going into mountainous areas or into areas where there are very severe snow storms, get some cables or chains for your tires. Be sure you check the road regulations wherever you’re headed to see what roads these are legal on. You’ll have to reduce your driving speed while you have cables or chains on your car.
There are two things you must constantly be aware of when you’re driving in snow or icy weather:
- It takes much longer to stop
- Corners may be slicker than they look
Slow down, enjoy the ride and get to your destination safely! There are some great winter drivers out there, but no one can outdrive the weather. Sometimes, you just need to pull over and wait out a bad storm or to stay home.
If someone hurts you or destroys your property due to bad winter driving, call an auto accident lawyer in Dallas. They might be able to establish negligence and, if they can, the lawyer could help you get a jury award or a settlement.
