What winter clothing is best for driving?
Ever since I can remember, I like to be warm. I remember being a kid and sitting around the campfire with a sweater and jeans on, maybe even a jacket. My dad on the other hand, sat in shorts and possibly a t-shirt. I even sleep better when I’m warm and of course; drive better too. But does our winter clothing prohibit us from driving safely?
I have a couple of pairs of gloves that I have in the car. One pair stays in my coat pocket and the other pair – in my glove box. I’ll wear the gloves for the first few minutes of driving then take them off. I like to feel the steering wheel and have a slight grip. Sometimes, the gloves we wear are too thick or slippery with the type of material they’re made of to grasp the steering wheel effectively. Woolen mittens are probably the worst.
Now, with my shaved head I have to wear a winter hat. I need to keep the heat from leaving through the top of my head. But what about driving with a hood on? Would that prohibit you from glancing in your mirrors or blind spots? Would that reduce your width of field of vision because of the limited peripheral vision? I believe it does, so we need to put some more thought about what we’re wearing while driving in the winter. Wearing a hat is better than using the hood from your coat or sweater as it still allows you to use your eyes effectively.
I’ll wear shoes while driving in the winter, but I’ll also keep a pair of winter boots in the trunk of my vehicle in case I have to get out in deep snow. Some boots have such a thick sole, that it may be difficult to feel the proper pressure in both the gas and brake pedals.
The winter coats I’ve had over the years have been very warm, but also lightweight. A bulky coat may stop your arm movement if you have to steer quickly. When I’m teaching students in the car at Young Drivers of Canada, I will often have a sweater on, but take my coat off and place it either in the trunk or on the floor of the backseat. Since the interior of the vehicle has warmed up, there’s no need to keep my gloves, hat and coat on while driving or teaching.
As always, we need to use logic and common sense as a driver, including for what we wear while we’re driving.
Hi Scott. I have a question about winter driving on behalf of my girlfriend Laurelle. She has Raynauds disease which is a circulatory disorder. Being in cold temperatures even for a short time causes her blood to flee from her extremities and into her core. She finds that this occurs most often when she is done work and getting into her cold car.
Do you know of any car accessory or method of keeping warm in a car before it’s fully warmed up? There is a plug-in electric blanket from Canadian Tire but the reviews mention that people shouldn’t expect it to get very warm. Any help would be great. Thanks!
Keeping the hands and head warm are a big part. A product called “hot pockets” (I believe; or something like that) can keep the hands warm and a woollen hat can do the trick too. Have the gloves and hat on the heat vent before entering the vehicle. Keeping the area near the wrists warm will help to keep the blood warmer. I wouldn’t reccommend an electric blanket if driving. The vehicle warms up better while in motion, so after a few minutes, the heat should be in the vehicle. The heat from the gloves and hat should keep her warm enough until the vehicle heats up. I hope this can help.
On the same wavelength as the What winter clothing is best for driving? The Safe Driver, matter, Whenever possible, combine your errands and plan your route in advance, so you do less driving. You may not increase your fuel efficiency, but you’ll reduce the environmental impact by using less gas.
While we’re discussing the What winter clothing is best for driving? The Safe Driver, topic, Fast acceleration and quick braking aren’t just hard on your vehicle, they’re bad for fuel efficiency. Driving smoothly will make your passengers happier – and save you about 2 miles gallon. Remember, just like the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady will win the fuel economy race.