7 tips to avoid a pileup on the highway

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How to avoid a winter pileup in New Jersey

Only drive on bad road conditions if you have to.

New Jersey drivers that live here during the cold winters know how dangerous it can be to drive on winter roads.  Some of us are more experienced than others in driving on nasty snow covered roads, but no matter how safely you think you drive, winter roads are very dangerous.  Mazda of Lodi wants to help you stay safe while driving on the highways so we would like to share these 7 tips to avoid a pileup on the highway.

7 tips to avoid a pile up on the highway

  1. Stay calm.  Driving on bad road conditions is stressful so remember to breathe and always stay calm.
  2. Drive slowly. Maintaining a slow speed is the safest thing you can do when driving on slippery roads.  Drive only as fast as you are comfortable with and know what your car is capable of handling.
  3. Smooth movements.  Every movement from steering the vehicle to pressing the gas of brake should be done very smoothly.  The harder you hit the gas or brake the less traction your tires will have on slippery road conditions.
  4. Turn on your headlights.  When the weather is bad, always remember to turn on your headlights so you can be easily seen by other drivers.
  5. Always use your signals.  When changing lanes or turning off, you should always turn on your directional long before you move over or start braking.
  6. Watch for tire spray.  Pay attention to the water, or lack of water, coming off of the tires of the cars in front of you.  If there is a lot of spray that means the roads are wet, if there is very little spray or none at all, then be very careful because that means the roads are freezing.
  7. Pay attention to the truckers.  If semis and trucks are going slow, that means you should also be slowing down.

7 tips to avoid a pileup this winter in New JerseyOne thing to always remember is that you should only drive on bad road conditions if you have to.  The safest thing to do is wait it out until the roads are safe to drive on.  If you have to drive, make sure you are prepared for the worse and carry a cold weather car kit, blankets, food and water just to be safe.

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