Once You Have Auto Mechanic Training, Be Sure to Tell Drivers These Winter Driving Safety Tips
While the snow might be beautiful, winter can be a precarious time for driving. In Canada especially, winters tend to be a little rough, and winter accidents are bound to happen. As an auto mechanic, you’re someone that drivers can trust when it comes to staying safe on the roads and avoiding accidents. During the winter months, your advice is especially important, given the hazardous driving conditions which accompany cold weather. Here are a few tips that you can give to drivers to help them practice safe driving techniques when it gets cold.
As Someone with Auto Mechanic Training, Tell Drivers to Prepare Their Vehicles
Unlike those carefree summer months, driving in the winter requires some extra planning. Tell drivers to make sure that they have winter tires, especially if their vehicle is a front-wheel drive model. Snow tires provide better traction, which will help vehicles avoid sliding in the ice or snow. Cars should also be equipped with a scraper to get ice or snow off of the windshield. Additionally, you can inform drivers that it’s better to be safe than sorry, and encourage them to prepare an emergency kit and keep it in their car. Drivers can keep a blanket, a small shovel, a flashlight, and jumper cables in their trunk in case an accident does occur, and they’re stuck in the cold. These items will come in handy, especially if they can’t get assistance from a professional with auto mechanic training right away.
Drivers Should Slow Down
In the winter especially, tell drivers to drive more slowly in order to maintain control of their vehicle. Going too fast over icy roads is a recipe for disaster. In addition to driving slowly, drivers should brake carefully before turning and avoid making sudden turns. Additionally, drivers should never tailgate. Being too close to another vehicle in winter conditions can increase the likelihood of an accident, so tell drivers that keeping their distance is the best policy.
Drivers Should Monitor Gas and Fluids More Frequently
Cold weather can make being stranded in a vehicle a whole lot more dangerous. A good policy during the winter that drivers should follow is to always fill their gas tank up if it’s half full. Below the half full line, drivers run the risk of running out of gas and getting stuck in the cold. If you have auto mechanic certification, it’s also good practice to remind drivers to check their windshield wiper fluids frequently. If a driver gets caught in a snowstorm, it might be difficult to see without it.
Weather’s Bad? Encourage Driver to Stay Home Instead
Of course, the safest thing a driver can do during a winter snowstorm is to stay home and avoid the roads. However, if that’s not realistic, hopefully the tips above will help them to stay safe.
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