As Winter Driving Awareness Week begins in Pennsylvania, AAA and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation are reminding motorists to use extra caution when driving during inclement weather.

According to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, about 46 percent of all crashes involving bad weather take place during the colder months.

Snowstorms, bad weather, and sloppy road conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every year.

And the winter months can be an especially busy time for dead batteries, flat tires, and vehicle extractions.

With colder weather in the forecast, AAA East Central advises motorists to take precautions to avoid deadly crashes and reach their destination safely.

“This time of year, the preventative steps you take today can go a long way toward protecting you throughout the winter season,” says Terri Ray Anthony, safety advisor, AAA East Central. “Weather conditions that lead to black ice, heavy snow, and slick roads mean that motorists need to be prepared, slow down, and not take any unnecessary chances.”

AAA East Central offers the following tips for driving in winter weather:

•Stay Home. This is the number one way to avoid a crash in the winter.

•Leave Early. Running late to work leads to anxiety which can cloud judgment and possibly lead to risky driving behaviors.

•Slow down. Accelerate, turn, and brake as gradually and smoothly as possible. This will help maintain control in rough conditions.

•Don’t tailgate. Normal following distances of three to four seconds on dry pavement should be extended to a minimum of five to six seconds when driving on slippery surfaces. The extra time will provide additional braking room should a sudden stop become necessary.

•Never use cruise control on slippery roads. If a vehicle hydroplanes or skids, motorists will lose the ability to regain some traction simply by lifting off the accelerator. It will be harder to recover from the loss of traction if cruise control is active.

•Turn against the skid. If a car begins to skid, continue to steer in the direction you want the car to go.

To prepare a vehicle for winter driving, AAA recommends the following tips:

•Have the vehicle’s battery tested. Last winter, AAA East Central contractors responded to more than 66,000 battery calls, the number one call received by the Club.

•Replace worn windshield-wiper blades. Purchase one-piece, beam-type or rubber-clad “winter” blades to fight snow and ice buildup. Use cold-weather windshield washer solvent and carry an ice scraper.

•Inspect tires. Make sure tires have adequate tread depth – at least 4/32” – as worn tires can affect a motorist’s ability to stop in slick conditions. An easy way to check for wear is by inserting a quarter into the tread groove. If the top of Washington’s head is exposed, the tread depth is less than 4/32” it’s time to replace tires. Also, check that the vehicle has a spare tire and keep it properly inflated. In harsh winter climates, a set of snow tires may be a wise investment.

•Carry an emergency kit equipped for winter weather. The kit should include sand or cat litter, a small shovel, flashlight, an ice scraper or snow brush, booster cables, a blanket, gloves or mittens and flares or reflective triangles.

More AAA winter car care tips can be found at https://exchange.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Winter-Car-Care-Checklist1.pdf.

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