State Highway Patrol offers tips on safe driving in poor conditions
ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Ahead of the storm expected to hit Wednesday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is sharing tips on safe driving and reminding people of often forgotten laws.
Lt. Matt Boyd said it’s important for people to remember the basics while driving in poor conditions. Boyd said you should leave a safe distance between yourself and the car in front of you and wear your seat belt among other things.
“Drive slower. Just because the speed limit might be 55 or 70 on the interstate doesn’t mean that it’s safe to drive that speed. You’ve got to adjust your speed for the conditions of the roadways.”
In addition to driving safely, Boyd said there are some laws that people often forget that are important to remember. For instance, your headlights should be on if your windshield wipers are on. This is a secondary law that helps with visibility. Another law is to properly clean off your vehicle.
“Make sure you get all of that snow cleaned off. If you just clean off part of the windshield to drive you can’t necessarily see everything around you. Clean all of the windows off. Make sure you can see everything around you. Get the ice and the snow cleared off of it. And it’s critically important to clear the snow off the top and sides of your vehicle because you get that snow frozen on the vehicle and then you start driving and then it blows off becoming a hazard for other drivers on the roadway.”
Boyd also shared tips for driving down a hill. He said you should put your vehicle in neutral which will help keep you from sliding and give you more control as you descend the hill.
“A lot of people don’t realize that when a vehicle is in drive, you know the drive wheels is engaged, and also you’re braking efficiency is decreased and typically a higher percentage of braking is on the front tires or front wheels of the vehicle. So if you’re going down an icy grade or snow-covered grade if you simply put your vehicle in neutral and utilize your brakes it’ll equalize the braking and allow you better braking efficiency going down the hill.”
