Winter Safety

“Drive” Winter Safety – Show You Care

Winter Safety

We’re already starting to see winter-like weather across the country and it will spread in the next few months. Our safety experts say that the greatest risk of losing traction is on snowy, wet roads when temperatures are between 22 and 35 degrees. Winter safety for our drivers, both driving and working around their vehicle, is a way of life for any transportation company.  In short, winter safety is important on many levels, but the theme is:  “Show you care”.

Listen to show you care.

We all have some great ideas on how to drive better in winter. But most of your drivers have a great breadth of experience in winter driving. Get ideas from your drivers and then share them with other drivers. It’s things like when to slow down, knowing when to change lanes, how fast to drive for the weather conditions, how to smoothly brake on slippery roads.  Asking our driver’s advice, and then using it, shows them respect and it shows them you care.

Share Winter Safety Information.

Second, let’s do a great job of sharing weather forecast information and road condition information with your drivers. Knowing that something or a combination of things may make the roads or bridges more slippery can be very helpful. Drivers want to adjust to changing weather patterns. As always, let’s spread that information.

Don’t forget the impact of other drivers.

Let’s remind our drivers that other drivers—the public– may not be ready for winter driving and that first nasty snow storm or icy road condition. Every year the motoring public has to relearn what it takes to drive safely on winter roads. Remind our drivers to be especially careful when dealing with cars and light trucks in traffic at the onset of winter. Give other drivers extra room and don’t get mad at dumb behavior. It’s going to happen so, as we’ve heard a zillion times, drive defensively. It helps to anticipate bad driving from non-professionals and makes it easier to deal with it.

When it comes to winter driving, show you care by communicating safety to drivers.