Sliding on ice may be fun when at play on a frozen pond but on roadways, it creates traffic chaos. The demand for car dent repair and car paint repair naturally increases after there have been icy driving conditions. In the St. Louis MO area, there are about 25 below-freezing days per year, 5 to 10 days when there is one inch or less of snowfall, and an average of 18 inches of snow annually. It could be worse, but there are plenty of opportunities to find your car sliding on ice if you aren’t careful about winter driving.
Tips follow that can help you prevent the need for car dent repair and avoid dealing with your car sliding on ice.
Tips for Driving in Wintry Conditions
Every winter in the US, about half a million crashes occur on our roadways. There are also 2,000 winter traffic fatalities annually, according to AAA. The following are helpful tips for avoiding winter roadway accidents and the sudden need for car dent repair.
Stay home
When there is a chance of your car sliding on ice or encountering other driving hazards, stay home if at all possible. Even if you have great snow tires for your vehicle and exceptional driving skills, it’s best not to take risks unnecessarily.
Drive slowly
Slowing down and driving slowly is an adjustment that should be made whenever encountering driving on snow or ice because there is less traction.
Leave more space between vehicles
Add 5 to 6 seconds to your following distance. By increasing your margin of safety, you will have the longer stopping distance necessary for sudden stops.
Slowly accelerate and decelerate
Remember that on icy roads, it takes longer to slow down and stop. To avoid skidding and to regain traction, apply the gas and the brakes slowly. This could also help prevent the need for car dent repair.
Avoid stopping when possible
If you can slow down and keep rolling until a traffic light changes from red to green, do it. There’s a big difference between the amount of inertia required to get your vehicle moving from a full stop versus what’s needed to continue moving forward while still rolling.
Avoid spinning wheels
On snow-covered roadways, applying extra gas makes wheels spin. The best approach to going over hills is to allow inertia to get you to the top. When you’ve reached the crest of the hill, proceed downhill slowly at a reduced speed.
Don’t stop when going uphill
One of the most difficult maneuvers on icy roads is moving uphill. Before taking on a hill, get some inertia going on a flat roadway.
Visit Shur-Way Auto Body for Car Dent Repair
At Shur-Way Auto Body, we are happy to help customers and we specialize in providing car dent repair, car paint repair, and more. But we care about our customers, too, and don’t want your car sliding on ice. If at all possible, always avoid driving when roads are potentially treacherous. When things go wrong and car dent repair is needed, we at Shur-Way Auto Body are here for you, as we have been for half a century. Come find out for yourself why we’ve had such staying power. Our shop is located at 3540 Greenwood Blvd. in Maplewood MO. Stop by or call us today at 314-645-5540.