Winter Driving Tips

by Jeb Foster

Denver (PRWeb) November 26, 2006 -- InsureMe, an online insurance shopping resource, has compiled some useful and perhaps little-known winter driving tips.

Employees of the Colorado-based company have experienced driving in snowy conditions, but realizing there could be gaps in their knowledge, they looked for tips north of the border, where winter driving conditions can persist into spring, summer and fall.

"According to the Qu??bec ministry of transportation, tires lose traction as temperatures go down," said James Omdahl, affiliate manager for InsureMe. "All season' tires lose both elasticity and traction when the temperature drops below between -8ºC and -15ºC."

Peter Deusterman, InsureMe's in-house statistician, converted those figures to 17º F and 5ºF respectively. "So much for 'all season,'" said Deusterman, who keeps an emergency kit, a sleeping bag and a book of Mad Libs in his car in case he finds himself stranded.

In addition to deflating the myth of "all-season" tires, the Quebecers challenge the notion that most winter accidents occur during storms: "During a storm, drivers tend to drive a lot more carefully, but when the weather is good, people take more risks." They suggest drivers keep their guard up even on roads that appear dry.

Deusterman found some winter driving guidelines from his adoptive state, Colorado. The Web site for the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, in Steamboat Springs, Colo., warns drivers to steer clear of "phantom shoulders," which are really snow-filled ditches disguised as road shoulders.

The school also advocates wearing a good pair of sunglasses, and not just for the cool factor. According to Mark Cox, the director of the driving school, "Quality sunglasses help highlight changes in the terrain and road surface, even in low-visibility conditions." Deusterman said he wears aviator sunglasses while driving but wasn't sure if they were considered "quality." (He purchased them at a gas station.)

In the age-old debate over how to steer out of a skid, InsureMe again decided to defer to the Canadians. The question is: Should you steer where you want to go or in the direction of the skid?

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia advises drivers to "ease off the accelerator and look and steer smoothly in the direction you want to go," adding that drivers should resist the temptation to apply the brakes, as this will just make things worse.

If that fails and you end up mired in the bottom of phantom shoulder (ditch), the Canadian auto insurer suggests using "traction mats, old carpets, salt, sand or kitty litter" to get unstuck.

"Kitty litter, used for another purpose, may prevent skid from happening in the first place," added cat owner and InsureMe copywriter Megan Mahan. "By throwing a few bags of kitty litter over the rear axels, you'll get much better traction."

"Unopened bags, that is," Mahan added for clarification.