Unfortunately, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and we have six more weeks of unpredictable winter weather left. Stay safe with these winter weather tips that we love!
Is your trunk empty? Let's fix that!
Where is your winter emergency travel kit? Always have an emergency travel kit. Each season presents its own obstacles. Switching out your supplies every season will help keep you and your loved ones safe when traveling.
Make sure to include these items in your winter emergency kit:
- Flashlight and batteries
- Cell phone and charger
- Snow shovel
- Jumper cables
- Blanket
- Battery-operated radio
For more supplies to include in your kit, check out Ready PA's Build a Kit for Your Vehicle page.
Beams: Low and high. So many choices, but which is correct?
Use your low beams in bad weather, especially in cases of heavy or blowing snow. Using your high beams when driving in snow, rain, or even fog will challenge your vision and actually make it worse.
Why is this the case? The bright light from your headlights shines towards the snow and/or fog, the bright light will reflect back to you, causing a glare. Especially during snowstorms, the snowflakes and ice crystals will allow even more light to reflect back to you causing a wall of glare.
For more winter weather driving tips, check out PennDOT’s Winter Driving Guide.
Cruisin' and looking for a bruisin'
Do not use cruise control while driving on snow-covered roads.
Cruise control is convenient, especially for those long drives. But, during winter weather, using cruise control can be dangerous. The purpose of cruise control is to maintain a constant speed. With that being the case, if you skid or hydroplane in snow, ice, or rain, your vehicle will actually accelerate, and the wheels will continue to spin to try to keep your speed.
If you plan to travel during the winter, learn more safety information from PennDOT.