Safe Winter Driving Tips: Important Items to Keep in your Car
Driving in the winter presents many challenges including unpredictable weather. We at Silverman, McDonald & Friedman wanted to share these helpful safe driving tips with you to make sure that you don’t get caught off guard when a winter storm hits and you end up stranded in your car.
During the recent blizzard that struck much of the mid-west and eastern part of the United States last week, you may have seen footage of cars stranded on highways and roadways due to the storm. Would you be prepared if you found yourself in a hazardous weather situation today? There are a few items that you might consider keeping in your car just in case the unthinkable happens and you find yourself stranded:
- Non-perishable food such as energy bars
- Water stored in bottles that will not crack when they freeze
- Blanket
- First-aid kit
- Blanket
- Change of clothes and shoes
- Shovel, ice scraper and snow brush
- Flashlight
- Candle and matches
- Whistle
- Road flares
- Fire extinguisher
- Mobile phone charger / spare battery
- Jumper cables
- Spare tire
- Salt, sand or ice melt
- Warning light or road flares
- Road map
Many people underestimate the impact that bad weather can have on driving conditions. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), there are about 7,100 traffic fatalities and about 626,000 injuries each year in the U.S. due to weather related car crashes. Make sure that you are aware of the weather forecast before you set out on a drive through a remote area. Keep your vehicle serviced and in safe operating condition and dress warmly when you leave the house for a long drive in the winter.
Prepare an emergency kit with these and any other items you think you would require in a situation where you would have to shelter in place in your vehicle at least overnight. The NHTSA and Safercar.gov have a presentation and winter driving safety checklist available on their website.
The skilled auto accident attorneys at Silverman, McDonald & Friedman are focused on helping you obtain the compensation you deserve when you have sustained an injury due to poor weather conditions such as snow and ice. Please give us a call us at 302.414.5553 or fill out our quick contact form to schedule a free case review. Our law firm’s offices are conveniently located in Newark, Seaford and Wilmington and we serve clients throughout Delaware.
Attorney Jeffrey S. Friedman joined Silverman, McDonald & Friedman in 2001. He graduated from Widener University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and in several Federal Circuit courts. He areas of concentration include auto accident and workers’ compensation cases. Read more about Attorney Friedman here.