Drive safely in wintry conditions

Fewer daylight hours, snowy or icy conditions, limited visibility – these are some of the hazards drivers can encounter during the winter. The National Safety Council says taking a few simple steps before you leave will help keep you safe:

• Clean off your car’s external camera lenses and its side mirrors.
• Remove dirt, ice and snow from sensors so the assistive-driving features –such as automatic emergency braking – work.
• Never leave your car running in your garage – even with the garage door up.

If the weather forecast looks iffy, delay your departure if you can. If you have to leave, make sure you share your travel plans and route with someone.

AAA offers some additional winter safety driving tips:

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly.
• Increase your following distance to eight to 10 seconds from three seconds.
• Don’t use cruise control in snowy or slick conditions.
• Steer in the direction of a skid, so when your wheels regain traction, you don’t have to overcorrect to stay in your lane.

Is visibility limited? Pull over to a safe place and wait until conditions improve before getting back on the road.

If you’re driving in the dark, follow these tips from the Texas Department of Insurance:

• Drive within the visual range illuminated by your headlights, not by what you think you see beyond them. At night, headlights limit our view to only 250-350 feet of the road ahead. Use high beams when you can.
• Adjust your rearview mirror to the nighttime setting to dim any headlight glare coming from behind.
• Focus your eyes on the right edge of the road to avoid being blinded.
• Keep the inside and outside of your windshield and headlights clean.
• Shift your eyes between the road and your vehicle’s rearview and side mirrors.
• Turn your head from side to side to increase your peripheral vision.