Hazardous road conditions make it even more important to take safety precautions and drive carefully. The following tips will help you arrive safely at your destination:
- Winterize your car by checking your antifreeze, battery, and windshield wiper fluid. Keep tires properly inflated and check the treads.
- Make sure your headlights, taillights and emergency flashers are working— before you take to the roads.
- Keep at least half of a tank of gas in your car at all times.
- Give yourself additional time. Wet and icy conditions often cause traffic delays.
- Slow down and keep extra distance between your car and other vehicles.
- Be careful when accelerating or stopping a vehicle on icy roads or on hills. Avoid sudden stops.
- Take extra precautions when approaching bridges as they may freeze first.
- Keep front and rear windshields clear.
- Do not use cruise control when driving on ice and slippery surfaces.
- Prepare an emergency travel kit with items such as blankets, jumper cables, a shovel, a flashlight, salt, flares and other emergency supplies. A toolkit, bottled water and snack food are also useful items to include, in case you get stranded on the road.
- Call your agent or insurance company to review your policy. Damage to vehicles from ice or trees is covered under the optional comprehensive coverage in an auto insurance policy. Collision coverage on an auto policy covers crashes in hazardous driving conditions.
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