BELLEVUE – Cold weather has arrived, gas prices are dropping and holiday vacation season is here. Time to pack up the car, bump up the heater and hit the road for a memorable winter getaway.
Snow-capped mountains and the charm of the open road welcomes a season of dramatic road-trip backdrops. Not to mention, motorists will enjoy savings at the pump. The current price for gasoline in Washington state is an average of $3.04 per gallon, which is down 27 cents in a year.
Be prepared
A winter road trip can be rewarding, but motorist should be prepared for unpredictable conditions. AAA Washington has tips, tricks and tools to help you arrive at your destination safely.
The first step when planning a winter road trip is preparation. AAA recommends having your car or RV inspected by an auto mechanic prior to a road trip. Cold weather is especially hard on car batteries. In fact, in 2013 AAA Washington received more than 108,000 calls for battery service alone. Of those, more than 20,000 (19 percent) resulted in needing a battery replacement.
AAA Washington also recommends storing a winter driving kit in your trunk for emergency situations. Proper equipment and clothing are critical elements to protect your safety if you breakdown in cold or stormy conditions.
10 winter driving kit essentials
• Warning devices (flares, triangles or other visual alerts)
• First aid kit
• Flashlight with new batteries
• Non-perishable food and water
• Blankets and warm clothing including hat and gloves
• Jumper cables
• Abrasive material (sand or cat litter) or traction mats and a small shovel
• Ice/snow scraper for clearing car and windows
• Tire chains
• Cell phone and charger for making emergency calls
Driving in ice & snow
Venturing into cold weather could mean harsh conditions on roadways as well, especially if traveling through mountain passes. AAA recommends checking Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) website for current conditions on Washington passes. Knowledge of how to drive in the ice and snow could also help avoid unnecessary roadside woes.
1. Reduce Speed. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly. Also, accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids.
2. Increase following distance. Normal following distances of three to four seconds for dry pavement should be increased to eight to 10 seconds when driving on icy, slippery surfaces.
3. Avoid cruise control: Do not use cruise control when driving on slippery surfaces. Not using cruise control will allow you to respond instantly when you lift your foot off the accelerator.
4. Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
5. Anticipate hills: Don’t stop going up a hill. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.
6. Stay in control through a skid: When a vehicle begins to skid, it’s important not to panic. Continue to look and steer in the direction the car needs to go. Also, avoid slamming on the brakes as this will further upset the vehicle’s balance and make it harder to control.
7. Know when to brake and when to steer. When travelling over 25 MPH, AAA recommends steering over braking to avoid a collision in wintery conditions, as less distance is required to steer around an object than to brake to a stop. In slick conditions, sudden braking can lead to loss of vehicle control. However, sometimes steering is not an option. It is important to adjust your braking habits as road conditions change. Shaded spots, bridges, overpasses and intersections are areas where ice is likely to form first and will be the most slippery.
8. Drive distraction free: It is important when driving in winter conditions to drive distraction-free and in the right frame of mind. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that looking away from the road for just two seconds doubles your risk of being in a crash.
