The first major storm of the year arrives, with the AEMET announcing possible snowfall in several Autonomous Communities
If you have to drive your vehicle, do it with prevention and great caution. At Erum Vial we offer you these useful tips so you can do it safely.
If you are going to travel, plan the trip before you leave
Before going on a trip it is important to plan the route we are going to take. Find out about the weather (on the website https://www.aemet.es) and the state of the roads (at https://infocar.dgt.es/etraffic/). Stay up to date with the road situation through traffic bulletins on the different communication channels. In addition, during your journey there may be traffic restrictions, or the use of chains may be mandatory.
Before traveling, check the vehicle
It is important to do proper maintenance, checking the battery, tires (pressure, condition and tread above 1.6 mm including the spare), lighting and fluid level (oil, coolant, brakes and steering, and windshield wipers with antifreeze ). Always keep the fuel tank as full as possible.
Equip your vehicle
Along with the mandatory items, such as the reflective vest, it is advisable to always have chains (and have practiced how to mount them beforehand), an ice scraper, gloves, blankets, a flashlight or a phone battery. Also equip a V16 connected emergency light, like the Led One, which will allow you to be seen and report your position, even if the vehicle or phone does not work.
In the event of a breakdown or incident, signal your position and protect yourself
If you have to stop your vehicle on the road, try to do it in a safe and risk-free place, and leave the left lane free for emergencies. Without getting out of the vehicle, activate the V16 device (luminous) to signal your position with the emergency light, and send the signal to the DGT. If you use the emergency triangles, get out of the car with the reflective vest already on, place them at a distance, and wait inside the vehicle.
Avoid wearing your coat while driving, it reduces the effectiveness of restraint systems
Wearing a coat prevents the belt, or child restraint system, from becoming taut, which increases the risk. Furthermore, wearing this garment can limit our movements. Before we get going, let’s keep the vehicle at a comfortable driving temperature.
Drive smoothly
Speed down. Avoid sudden movements of the steering wheel, sudden acceleration, braking, and use the highest possible gears, without revving the car too much. It increases the safety distance since, in these conditions, the stopping distance (reaction time plus braking distance) increases, especially in the case of ice on the road. If you need to brake, use the car’s engine brake to help you.
Be careful with frost
If the road is shiny, especially early in the morning, there may be patches of ice. In shady areas, or with wooded areas on the edges of the road, you may encounter this risky situation. If we observe a loss of grip, we must act gently on the steering wheel, reduce speed, and avoid braking.
In snow… wait for the snow plows to act (leave a lane free), or use the ruts of other vehicles
Be careful with the irregularities of the terrain, and the edges of the road, which can hide some danger. If you park in snowy areas, raise the windshield wipers to prevent the weight of the snow from breaking the axles. And check before starting the ride that the pads are not frozen, which could cause them to stick to the disc.
