What To Do When Bad Weather Surprises You

The holidays are here, and for many, that means travel! Either to escape the cold or to visit family and friends, for many, the holidays start with a road trip. Make sure to prepare your vehicle before heading off on a road trip, but what about sudden lousy weather? In this blog, we want to provide you with some tips on what to do when bad weather surprises you.

One of the most important steps is to plan your trip before heading out. Check weather forecasts and find alternative routes in case your primary route can not be accessed. List possible stops for gas, food, and shelter as well. In the following list, we have chosen some top scenarios that you can find yourself in and some tips on how to deal with the weather on the road. 

1. Ice and Snow: If you find yourself in sudden snow or spot ice along the road, then these are some steps you can take. Lowering your speed is a start. Reducing your speed allows you to have more time to make fast decisions which can avoid accidents. Keeping your windows clear is another tip. You want to be able to have clear visibility of the road ahead. The next tip is to be more cautious with your braking. When braking on icy roads, your tires can skid, and you can lose control of your vehicle. Being more careful with your breaking allows you to have better control on the road, which also can avoid accidents. 

1. Rain: One of the more common weather conditions you can find yourself in is rain. One of the most essential tips you can follow is to lower your speed. This allows you to have more time to make decisions and reduces your chances of skidding and sliding on the road. Keeping your windows clear is another excellent tip because you want to have clear visibility of other cars or obstacles in front of you. Another tip is to turn on your headlights. Having the extra support with your vision is great but turning on your headlights also allows other vehicles to spot you on the road. For our final tip, we wanted to focus on flooding. Avoid flooded roads because it can be hard to tell the depth of the water, and you do not want to be caught in a flash flood.   

1. Fog: Fog can be tricky. It can be clear visibility one second and the complete opposite a moment later. If you find yourself in thick fog, one of the first things you can do is lower your speed. While this step seems repetitive, it definitely can make the difference between safety and an accident. The next step is to turn on your fog lights. This will improve the visibility of the road ahead while making you visible to other cars around you. Our last tip is to pull over if you don’t feel safe! It is better to pull over and wait a couple of minutes than drive when you don’t feel safe. Make sure to turn on your emergency blinkers, and even though you are pulled over, stay in your seat with your seatbelt on.   

1. High Winds: One of the most sudden weather changes is wind picking up out of nowhere. If you find yourself in high winds, the best thing to do is keep your eyes on the road and lower your speed. You want to be careful with flying debris or other drivers that can have less control of their vehicle. When in high wind areas, you want to hold your steering wheel with both hands to optimize control and have quicker response times to sudden obstacles that can appear. Keep an eye on larger vehicles such as trailers, RV’s, or buses, as these typically get pushed more by the wind.

1. All-Weather Conditions: Some important tips to follow in all weather conditions are always to wear your seatbelt. You don’t want to put your life at risk in case of an accident by not wearing your seatbelt. Another universal tip is to have complete focus on the road. Avoid distractions such as texting while driving or looking away from the road. Have an emergency kit in your vehicle in case of an accident.

We hope you could pick up a thing or two on how to be better prepared in sudden weather conditions. As always, your friends at Avid Autowerx want to ensure your safety on the road; so that you can continue to travel and visit your loved ones. 

Before heading off on your holiday travels, come by our shop so that our professionals can inspect your vehicle to make sure you are ready to hit the road! We are located at 5591 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH, 45227. You can also contact us at (513) 427-3817 with any questions you may have or by clicking here to schedule an appointment!