By Fatimah Nouilati
Staff Writer
As we all know, winter in New England is not just a couple of inches of snow. New Englanders can expect the worst of the worst winters that include snow, sleet, multiple storms, and a lot of ice.
The roads and highways start to get bad, and if you are driving there is almost no avoiding the sliding and skidding of your car or truck. However, there are a few precautions you can take to try to drive safely as possible despite the weather conditions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that nearly 1 in 10 highways accidents are tire-related. It is important to maintain your tires and get them checked shortly before the winter season.
Westford Academy’s Detective Agraz agrees. “Check your tires. The best SUV isn’t going to get you from point A to B without good tires,” he said.
The most important thing to take into consideration when driving on bad roads is your speed. In regular weather you should always be following the speed limit, but during snowfall and storms you should be going at least five or maybe ten miles slower than usual, depending on the weather.
For example, if the speed limit is 45 mph, you should be driving at about 35 mph to be on the safe side. If you know it takes you ten minutes to get to somewhere such as school or work, leave at least five minutes earlier to give yourself a little more time.
“The biggest cause of accidents I’ve seen is just every time it snows people drive like it’s not snowing,” said Agraz.
One of the scariest things about winter is black ice. Black ice is a clear coating that forms on roadways and sidewalks due to the freezing of rain and snow. It is important to understand when and where the black ice forms. Usually, the ice will form in the morning hours or at night when the temperature drops and the sun is not out.
In a town like Westford where there are so many trees surrounding roads blocking the sun, black ice and speed is crucial to be cautious about.
“People become cautious when the roads are white covered with snow, but on cold nights they forget about the black ice that is everywhere,” said Agraz.
Even if you have new tires and go slow every time you are driving, you have to think about all the drivers out there that might not be taking speed and caution into consideration. Along with that, always wear your seat belt and make sure everyone you are driving with has theirs on as well. In the winter season, no one always has full control over the car while the weather conditions take part in the car’s actions.
