Winter Weather Driving 2011

1. Winter Weather Driving 2011

2. Winter weather driving includes more than just snow:Depending on your geographical area of operation, winter weather driving conditions can include snow, fog, rain, ice, sleet, and brutally cold temperatures. You need to be prepared to drive safely in any and all conditions you may face this winter.

3. Be Prepared • Have a trip plan • Know the weather reports and road conditions • Have extra time planned • Know where you can safely stop and wait out the storm, if needed • Have an emergency kit • Flashlight with extra batteries • Water and high protein snacks • Extra clothing and blankets

4. Do A Proper Pre Trip Inspection • A properly performed pre trip can identify defects that might affect the safe operation of your unit in bad weather. • Points of emphasis should include but are not limited to: tires, brakes, lights, emergency equipment, wiper blades, defroster, and a winter emergency kit. • Clean off the surface of your headlights, turn signals and brake lights. When starting out in bad weather, test your brakes in a safe area to see how far it takes to stop.

5. Looking far ahead will help you spot things such as pockets of dense fog, vehicles losing traction, swerving, or braking suddenly. Expand Your View

6. When Traction Is Reduced • Do not use cruise control. Cruise control does not sense a loss of traction. • Do not use the hand brake. The hand brake also does not sense a loss of traction. • Turn your engine brake off. It can cause over braking resulting in a skid or jackknife.

7. Never Drive Faster Then Conditions Allow During bad weather, sudden movements can cause a loss of control. Projecting your vision farther ahead can help you avoid sudden starts and stops.

8. Maintain Proper Following Distance Your following distance should allow for adequate stopping distance and visibility. Following too close jeopardizes your ability to safely stop behind the vehicle ahead. At the same time, it forces you to confine most of your attention solely to that vehicle.

9. You Are The Captain Of Your Ship Don’t blindly trust the actions of the drivers ahead of you. Their ability to see is just as impaired as yours.

10. Give Yourself Visibility • Following too close causes you to be stuck in white out conditions. • Keep plenty of space in front of you, so if something bad happens you can actually see it and have time to react to it. • When you get cut off and find yourself in a cloud of blowing snow, slow down until your visibility and following distance returns.

11. Stopping Distance Changes With The Conditions More space is needed to compensate for the increased stopping distance of your vehicle as well as the stopping ability of those behind you.

12. Check mirrors every five to nine seconds. You may be able to detect threats from the sides and rear early enough to avoid problems.

13. Make Sure You Communicate with Other Drivers Use your turn signals and brake lights early. In foul weather, other drivers need plenty of warning to adjust for your actions. Always drive with your headlights on

14. Black Ice • Black ice forms on a roadway from melting and re-freezing. • Pavement that looks dry but appears darker in color and dull-looking should alert you to presence of black ice. • Forms when temperatures are near or below freezing. Check the back of your mirrors for ice formation. • Lack of road spray can be an indicator of freezing temps and ice forming. • Drivers usually fail to recognize black ice conditions and drive at normal speeds since it is almost invisible.

15. Fog If you see a patch of fog ahead, slow down before you reach it. • Turn on your low beam headlights or fog lights. • Turn on your defroster and windshield wipers. • Be alert for slow moving vehicles and traffic stopped ahead. In heavy fog, roll all your windows down. You may actually hear other cars before you see them.

16. Bridges and Overpasses Be extra careful on bridges and overpasses. They are more likely to ice over before the roadway.

17. Beware of Hydroplaning Wet roads at high or even moderate speeds can create hydroplaning conditions. • Occurs when there is so much water on the roadway that the tire treads cannot fully channel the water away. • When your tires are worn, you are more vulnerable to hydroplaning.

18. Jack Knife And Skids Jack knifes and skids are caused by sudden maneuvers or applying too much brake pressure in the wrong situation. • Avoid emergency evasive maneuvers if at all possible, plan ahead, think ahead. • Don’t brake going into a curve or turn, brake or slow down ahead of time. • DO NOT use your brakes while in the skid or jackknife, sliding tires cannot be controlled or steered.

19. Jack Knife And Skids What to do if you start to jackknife: • Immediately press in the clutch • Counter steer quickly to continue bringing the tractor in line with the trailer (tractor leading the trailer) • Do not quit steering and counter steering until you get the tractor and trailer lined up correctly • Do not give up

20. Eliminate In-Vehicle Distractions • Even in the best of conditions, glancing at a map, changing the radio station or drinking a beverage can diminish driving skills. • You may have to overcome the urge to take a sip of coffee or adjust the radio in some circumstances. • In foul weather, there is even less margin of safety to allow for these distractions.

21. Chain Up • Know what the State law is and follow it. • Know how to put chains on before you need to do it. • Do not travel faster the 25 MPH when you have chains on. • Check your chains frequently for wear and proper tension.

22. Slips and Falls • Wear ice cleats when walking on snow packed or ice covered ground. • Have three points of contact. When walking around your equipment have a hand on the tractor or trailer for extra balance and stability. • Do NOT walk with your hands in your pockets. • Walk slow and take smaller strides. Winter months have the highest number of slips and falls

23. Winter Driving…. • You as the driver are responsible for the load, your safety, and the safety of the motoring public. • Every driver’s comfort level and skill level is different—YOU have to know when you are comfortable to drive. • Make the safe decision.

24. Summary • Driving successfully in inclement weather depends upon your preparation, driving skills and having properly maintained equipment. • Any time of the year, and especially during the winter months, you need to be aware of the weather conditions that you will be driving in at all times. Closely monitor weather forecast and conditions. • No load is worth a life—yours or any others.