Winter road conditions are the most dangerous of the year. More than 130,000 people in the United States will become injured as a result of snowy and icy roads this season. Almost 2,000 will lose their lives.
Follow these tips and proceed across South Dakota’s roadways.
Test your battery. Unless you have driven somewhere truly remote and are now stranded in the cold, a dead car battery probably isn’t going to cause you physical harm. Serviceable car battery testers are fairly inexpensive; alternatively, you may ask your mechanic to check whether your battery has the recommended 12.4 to 12.9 volts.
Check your tires’ tread depths. New tires typically have 10/32″ or 11/32″ tread depths. The U.S. Department of Transportation advises replacing tires when their tread depths become 2/32″ or shallower.
Switch to snow tires. Snow tires are made of special rubber that is formulated to avoid becoming stiff in the cold. That keeps the tires’ treads more supple and flexible, thus promoting greater traction on snowy roads. Studded snow tires offer even better traction. They are legal in South Dakota October 1st through April 30th, as well as in Iowa November 1st through April 1st. Studded snow tires aren’t legal in Minnesota, although the state allows occasional use under certain conditions for nonresident visitors.
Don’t idle inside your garage. A modern vehicle’s catalytic converter removes a lot of carbon monoxide (CO) from exhaust. The odorless, colorless gas only comprises about 0.1% of exhaust. But CO is also extremely poisonous; it claims thousands of lives in North America each year.
Don’t drive distracted. Winter, spring, summer and fall – Distracted driving claimed over 3,100 lives in 2021 alone. Many of those lives belonged to drivers who made the mistake of taking their eyes off the road for just two seconds. Many others belonged to pedestrians and motorists who were totally blameless for their fatal accidents.
Anticipate longer stopping distances. This probably comes as no surprise, but ice and snow make roads slippery. It can take three to 12 times longer to bring your vehicle to a full stop in the wintertime (with larger vehicles requiring more distance). If you were taught the two-second rule in driver’s ed, then you may instinctively give yourself at least two seconds to react if the vehicle ahead were to stop moving. If the road is wet, double that time to four seconds; snowy, six seconds; icy, at least eight seconds, and preferably 10.
Slow down. Increasing your stopping distance will help you avoid a collision. When you’re going 35 mph on dry pavement, you need 60 to 100 feet of road ahead of you to come to a full stop. You would easily need double that distance to stop on a snowy road. And if the road were icy, you would need at least 600 feet to stop. Slowing down also reduces your risk of skidding out of a turn should you hit black ice.
Don’t use cruise control. It is unsafe to use cruise control on wet, snowy and icy roads. Cruise control increases your risk of hydroplaning when you hit a puddle; it also increases the risk of skidding or spinning out when you drive across a low-traction surface.
Make sure you have car insurance. South Dakota state law requires all motorists to show proof of financial responsibility. It will also give you peace of mind that you can afford medical expenses and car repairs incase of an accident.
No amount of caution can eliminate your risk of a vehicle collision this winter. Contact McKinneyOlson Insurance of Sioux Falls, SD today to make sure you’re covered!