Driving Safe In The Snow

Feb 3, 2021, 3:04 PM

Over the past few months, the team at Hastings Mutual has been taking a close look at our policyholders to find out who they are and what they’re looking for in their insurance coverage. We discovered that drivers at least age 55 don’t get the attention they might deserve. They have had policies for many years, and clean driving records for about the same length of time.

At Hastings Mutual, we take a lot of pride in what you can learn. Click on “Insurance” right at the top of the website and you’ll be taken to a webpage where you can read the details on more than two dozen different kinds of policies or policy enhancements we offer.

Your local independent insurance agent can attend our unique training courses to find out the specifics on many of our types of policies and on our process for filing claims — all to make your insurance experience faster and more efficient.

If you’ve been reading this Mutual Understanding blog for long, you know there’s a lot of education here, too. We pass along hints to make your home, your business, and your farm safer and more productive. 

For example, here in early February, drivers of every age need to think about guidelines for driving safely in winter. It’s especially important to be cautious on the roads this time of year, when the weather makes everything slippery and often hard to see.

There are a few simple things drivers can do to be better on winter drives:

The Basics

These are important no matter what time of year it is. They’re so basic, in fact, you might not think about them. Take a moment to:

• Make sure all passengers have seat belts on, and children are in appropriately sized seats.
• Put your phone away and keep your eyes on the road. Distracted driving leads to hundreds of accidents in the U.S. each year.
• Stay out of your car if you’ve been drinking. More than a quarter of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S. are related to drinking and driving.

Car Maintenance

Driving on winter roads is challenging enough; with a little preparation, you won’t have to deal with running out of fluids at the same time. 

• Make sure your battery is charged; in cold weather, you’ll need more charge to start your vehicle, and you can’t travel as far if you drive a hybrid or electric car.
• Check your fluids, too, like the coolant and windshield wash. 
• Inflate the tires to the right pressure, and check the depth of the tread and the quality of the tire itself. 

On the Road

• Before you even pull out of your driveway, brush all the snow off your car. Sure, you could leave the snow sitting on top of your car’s roof, since it doesn’t keep you from seeing the road. But when you get moving, it slides down or blows backward, which can affect other drivers. Be considerate of everyone on the road.
• Blowing snow and slippery surfaces more or less force you to drive more slowly to avoid accidents. It’s especially important when other vehicles are moving quickly, like when you’re on the highway or in a busy intersection. Just like you look both ways when you cross the street, look both ways before you pull out into traffic. 
• Be aware of other drivers — not just the ones who are rushing to get past you, but also the ones entering or leaving your lane and the ones you can’t see in the blowing snow or hidden behind larger vehicles.

What's your best winter road safety tip? Let me know in the comments.

The Mutual Understanding blog and Hastings Mutual videos are made available for educational purposes only. The information referred to is not an official company statement, corporate policy, or offer of coverage. Refer to your insurance policy for specific coverage. There is no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of any information found by following any link on this site. Please contact your local independent insurance agent with further questions and for more details on any insurance policy-related information you read here.

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