Keep emergency supplies in your
car’s trunk during winter driving
season
December 09, 2009, 7:12AM
MUSKEGON — Staying home is the ultimate way to ensure safety when winter weather makes driving a dangerous adventure.
But for those who must head out, take extra caution to make sure you, as well as fellow drivers, have a safe commute, officials say.
Weather forecasters say a big storm could dump between 6 inches and 12 inches of snow by week’s end, and high winds may cause periodic whiteout conditions.
AAA Michigan officials recommend keeping a variety of emergency supplies in your vehicle’s trunk at all times, including boots, gloves, a blanket, and “a coffee can heater” — a coffee can with a candle inside. Once lit, the candle will emit light and the can provide much-needed warmth should a motorist be stranded on the side of the road.
AAA officials advise drivers in snowy conditions to use low-beam headlights and look farther ahead in traffic for other vehicles’ actions.
Mike Hoeker, a retired Norton Shores police officer and traffic safety consultant who writes a traffic column for The Chronicle, advises drivers to make sure all windows, headlights and taillights are brushed off before leaving the driveway.
In many cases, Hoeker said, if a car starts down the road and snow is blowing off the back, it inhibits the visibility of the driver behind.
“You can’t see if they’re braking, and their turn signals, and all that snow is going to blow on you also,” he said.
Additionally, Hoeker warns motorists to know the limitations of their four-wheel-drive vehicles. Although the feature may be nice when traveling through patches of heavy snow, it won’t increase braking efficiency, he said.
In instances where roads are icy and the snow isn’t deep, it’s best to stick with front-wheel drive, Hoeker said.
When it comes to cruise control, officials are especially wary.
Should a nearby vehicle catch a patch of ice and move over in the lane, quick braking to disengage a cruise control function often results in accidents, Hoeker said.
“Some slippery spots can pop up, you could have some black ice, then when your car does react to the sudden extra slipperiness, you have to hit the brakes,” he said. “Just that sudden hitting the brakes to slow down can cause you to go into a fishtail or really turn around.”
Should a vehicle slide off the road, it’s best to call a tow truck and have it removed as quickly as possible.
“It’s a huge traffic safety and liability issue,” Hoeker said, noting how some motorists will call for a ride and abandon their vehicle on the side of the road.
He advises drivers to leave extra room — five seconds of driving distance or more — between themselves and other motorists.
“The road is never at fault for a crash,” he said.
