Winter Holiday Driving Habits

Salt Lake City, UT, November 07, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Cheap Car Insurance.net, the nation's leading inexpensive car insurance resource, has announced winter driving holiday habits that will reduce insurance rates by avoiding accidents. This is important because global weather patterns is sending winter slush and snow to areas usually unaffected by it.

1. Stay off the road during storms.
If drivers stayed at home or opted to ride public transportation during blizzards, slush downpours and ice storms, they would avoid accidents due to hazardous driving conditions. Truth be told, drivers should never have to face black ice, inches of slush or otherwise slick driving surfaces at any time. If a driver must use their vehicle during difficult weather or before the streets are cleared, they should pay attention to their speed, use their brakes and suspension properly to avoid the inevitable fender bender. Understanding how your vehicle handles in slush and snow greatly increases your ability to avoid accidents, but the key part is speed. Drive cautiously.

2. Watch the traffic around you.
At night, make a note of the tail and headlights you see before you and keep a reasonable distance away. A reasonable distance could be 3 or four car lengths, or it could be whatever a driver who understands the road conditions deems it to be, determined by how much room would be necessary to avoid an accident. It could be as much as 500 yards. Factors to consider when judging stopping distance include the speed of the car, how far other cars are sliding on the slop at the speed they travel. If a driver is going down a steep slope, it may be impossible to stop at the bottom intersection. Drive accordingly.

3. Drive defensively.
The essential ingredient in defensive driving is the awareness and allowance of other motorists. When approaching an intersection simultaneously with another vehicle, do not assume a right of way. Make eye contact with the other driver and learn what the other driver is doing. Is the other driver in control of the car? Will the other car be able to stop if a sign or light mandates that they stop?

4. Buy the right equipment.
Worn out tires are often the cause of loss of control in bad road conditions. Buy an all-weather set of tires and check the tread before the rough weather arrives. Ask a mechanic to look at the brake system to make sure the brakes have enough wear left to get through the winter. A change in climate affects battery connections and fluid levels. After the climate changes, check the fluid levels under the hood, including the brake fluid. If a driver is handy with tools, they can pull off the battery cables and clean them. A car that won't start is a safety hazard in any weather, but bad weather just magnifies the problem. Car batteries may last only a few years. A car with a battery older than two years may have a worn out battery.

5. After the roads are clear, continue to be vigilant.
Snow-removers may miss ice patches, especially beneath overpasses and at the bottom of free-way exits. When the temperature is hovering above or below freezing, road drainage can become a problem and ice can form anywhere from standing water. The state you live in may prohibit the use of salt on the roadways. In some instances, local authorities are not ready for weather experiences that are foreign to them. These factors can increase the hazards on the road.

By avoiding accidents during the winter holiday season, drivers can avoid increased insurance rates.