Those planning to hit the roads on Friday for a Christmas weekend road trip need to prepare their vehicles for extreme cold and more.
AAA Texas and Discount Tire have teamed up to remind drivers about the importance of well-maintained tires, which are critical to maintaining traction on wet roads:– Check your tires’ air pressure when the tires are cool because heat can increase tire pressure readings by several pounds per square inch .-- Tires lose pressure naturally—typically 1–3 psi per month—because a tire’s sidewall is permeable.
Reduce your speed and leave plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the vehicle in front of you.Be aware of possible icy roads. Be especially careful on bridges and overpasses, which freeze sooner than roads. And even at temperatures above freezing, if conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
When traveling more than 25 mph, AAA Texas recommends steering over braking to avoid a collision in winter-like conditions, as less distance is required to steer around an object than to brake to a stop. In slick conditions, sudden braking can lead to loss of vehicle control. However, sometimes steering is not an option. Braking on slippery surfaces requires you to look further ahead and increase following and stopping distances.
Plan stopping distances as early as possible and always look 20-30 seconds ahead of your vehicle to ensure you have time and space to stop safely.Even careful and experienced drivers can skid on slippery surfaces. When a vehicle begins to skid, it’s important not to panic and follow these basic steps:Avoid slamming on the brakes as this will further upset the vehicle’s balance and make it harder to control.
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