The Safe Driver

Did you know….

Living in a household with 4 kids, they will often learn things in school and then try to stump the rest of us when they get home with their new found information. I try to do the same things when I’m teaching students at Young Drivers of Canada, whether they are new drivers or seasoned drivers looking at improving their driving knowledge and skill. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good time to bring ‘Did You Know?’ back to the public. So, here’s the winter edition of Did You Know…

Did you know… that all-season tires tend to become very hard when the temperature drops to 7 degrees? It doesn’t have to get to the freezing mark for those tires to become less effective in colder weather and there doesn’t have to be snow on the road for winter tires to be effective. With this in mind, it would be a good idea to change to winter tires when the temperature starts to drop.

Did you know… the least amount of vehicle crashes happen in the winter? Despite the poor road conditions, most drivers tend to crash most in summer months. This is mainly for the fact that most people take their vacations during that time. Since the weather tends to be worse in the winter, a lot of drivers tend to stay home more where it’s warm.

Did you know… that windshield wipers should be changed every 12 months? Even if you live in a climate that doesn’t have snow and ice falling onto your windshield, those wipers work very hard to remove anything that disturbs your view out of the windshield. Wipers can become worn or crack over time, so get into the habit of changing them annually.

Did you know… you should never use cruise control on snowy or icy roads? Cruise control is designed to allow your vehicle to maintain constant speed whether you’re driving in a straight line or up a hill. There are certain times when you really want to use the transmission to slow the vehicle down when you come off the gas. Cruise control would stop you from doing that and contribute to you losing vehicle control.

Did you know…that pumping the brake is an ineffective way to stop your vehicle in an emergency? Most new vehicles have anti-lock brakes which can do that for you at roughly 16 to 18 times per second; much faster than you could do. Pumping the brakes will stop you and keep you under control, but it will take a considerable amount of distance for that to happen.

Did you know… you should keep your fuel tank at least half full? This can reduce moisture problems in your fuel system, which can lead to a frozen fuel line. It will also help in case you get stuck in the snow or stranded. It’s no use to you if you get help to get unstuck from the snow if you have no more fuel to get you going again.

Did you know… that shaded areas, bridges and overpasses freeze much sooner than normal roads while in cold weather and stay frozen long after the sun has risen? This is normally where black ice is formed. Look for black shiny road surfaces and reduce speed and avoid sudden changes of speed and direction in those areas.

Did you know… that this winter edition of ‘Did You Know’ is now finished? How did you do? Did you know most of this information? Now it’s time to share this new found knowledge with your fellow drivers.