Driving over Sierra Nevada summits every weeknight for the past 20+ years has made us experts at driving in the worst weather conditions.  I remember getting calls from people saying, "There's gonna be a huge storm tonight," and telling me I shouldn't do the Tahoe route.  But we have commitments to our customers and are equiped with the knowledge and experience to get through the night as safely as possible.  We do realize these conditions can be intimidating to those without experience, so here are a few tips from an experienced and trusted Sacramento courier to help prepare you for driving in the snow:

Driving safely on icy roads

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.

2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.

3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.

4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.  Make sure you have filled your windsheild wiper fluid with the non-freezing type before you head out on your trip.

5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.

6. Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.

7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.

8. When headed down steep hills, shift into a lower gear which will limit your need to use the brake.

9. Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.

10. Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.


The majority of these tips were taken from weather.com.

 

Sacramento courier has never been safer!