Prepare for winter driving now
Iowa Department of Transportation
AMES, Iowa – Nov. 10, 2011 – It was inevitable, the wonderful fall weather that allowed the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to quickly reopen the flood-damaged roadways in western Iowa has past and Iowa has moved into the winter travel season.
There is no time like the present to get your vehicle prepared for the winter months ahead. The Iowa DOT offers the following suggestions for winterizing your vehicle and preparing your emergency survival kit.
Winterize your vehicle now, before winter weather threatens. To minimize the possibility of a breakdown, winterize your vehicle and get it tuned up. Check, or have a mechanic check, your vehicle’s wipers, hoses, battery, alternator, belts, tires, brakes, exhaust system, lights, and fluid levels. Make sure your heater and defroster are in good working order. A breakdown is bad on a good day, but can be dangerous on a bad winter day.
Get your emergency survival kit and supplies prepared and in your vehicle. In addition to carrying a mobile phone, basic survival kits should be placed in each vehicle. In the event you are stranded during a winter storm, these items could mean the difference between life and death.
The kit should contain a blanket or sleeping bag; high energy, nonperishable food; water; flashlight and extra batteries; matches or a lighter; candles; warm gloves; small first aid kit; hat or stocking cap; insulated footwear; and winter coat. The kit should contain enough supplies for the number of passengers in the vehicle.
Other winter travel supplies should include a snow shovel; scraper and snow brush; sand or strips of carpet for traction; flares/reflectors; tool kit; jumper cables; and a good spare tire, lug wrench and jack.
Learn more about how to prepare your winter survival travel kit by visiting the Iowa DOT’s YouTube website at: http://www.youtube.com/iowadot.
Brush-up your winter driving skills. Drivers should use basic safe driving habits at any time of year – buckling up, driving alert and sober, and operating your vehicle at a safe and legal speed. Special precautions need to be followed when ice or snow are present on the roadway, including reducing your speed for conditions. Turn off the cruise control. Do not turn your vehicle into an “off-road” vehicle by driving too fast for conditions. Remember the simple slogan, “Ice and Snow … Take It Slow.”
For more information about winter preparedness and the Iowa DOT’s snow and ice control program, contact Annette Dunn at 515-239-1355 or annette.dunn@dot.iowa.gov or check the DOT’s website at http://www.iowadot.gov/maintenance/winterSafety.html.
