Winter Automobile Safety

Day Five of Winter Hazard Awareness Week

Snow Plow Safety Awareness Tips

Winter brings the Minnesota Department of Transportation's (MN/DOT) 800 snowplows out in full force. MN/DOT needs everyone's help to prevent snowplow crashes this year. Serious injury or death can be avoided if motorists use caution around snow removal equipment.

Yield to snowplows. They drive slower than posted speeds.
Give the plow driver room to work safely.
Slow down. Never use cruise control on wet or icy roads.
Stay alert. A snowplow weighs 17 times more than your car.
Never drive into a snow cloud.
Be patient. Follow a safe distance (8 seconds) behind the plow.

Contacts For Current Road Conditions

Dial 511
Visit http://www.511mn.dot.state.mn.us:8080/MN_TRIP/index.jsp
MN Relay Service: 1-800-627-3529

Winter Driving and SurvivalTips

Traffic crashes claimed 568 lives in Minnesota in 2001. In addition to the basic safe driving habits we practice all year long - buckling up, driving alert and sober, and driving at a safe and legal speed - there are special precautions that need to be followed during the winter months.

The Minnesota Safety Council recommends the following tips:

Make sure your car is ready for the season. Throughout the winter, keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze.
Avoid traveling, especially alone, if severe weather is threatening.
Before taking a trip, inform someone at your destination of your expected arrival time and your travel route.
Stock your car with basic winter driving equipment: a scraper and brush, small shovel, jumper cables, tow chain and a bag of sand or cat litter for tire traction. Also include road flares, a blanket, heavy boots, warm clothing, and a flashlight with batteries.
Keep an emergency survival kit in the car, including high-energy food such as a chocolate bar or energy bar.
If your car has been outside during a snowfall, brush all the snow off before starting out. Snow left on the front hood will blow into the front vent and cause defrosting problems, and can also melt and re-freeze on the windshield. Snow on the roof will cover the rear window and snow on the rear deck will blow onto tail lights. Pay particular attention to cleaning off headlights and tail lights so that other motorists can see you.
Adjust your speed to the conditions and increase following distances.
Remember that bridges and overpasses can be more slippery than other parts of the road. If you begin to skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas and turn your wheels in the direction you want the front of the car to go. If you have an anti-lock braking system (ABS) apply a steady firm pressure to the brake pedal. Never pump ABS brakes.
If even after following all precautions you find yourself stranded, stay calm and stay put. Staying in your car will decrease your risk of frostbite or hypothermia and increase your chances of being rescued. Run your engine for heat about once an hour, (every half hour in extreme cold.) Make sure your exhaust pipe is clear to prevent the back up of carbon monoxide. Leave one window slightly open. Tie a piece of brightly colored cloth to your antenna to alert others and aid rescuers. Limit your sleep to short naps.
Consider keeping a cellular phone for use during emergencies. For long trips, be sure the batteries are fully charged and consider bringing a spare battery. Keep the phone and batteries warm to avoid quick power drain. Because driving requires your full attention, it is recommended that you find a safe place to pull off the road when you need to make a call.

Winter Survival Kits for Your Automobile

Each year, hundreds of Minnesotans find themselves stranded on the roadside. Winter weather can kill an unprepared person who is exposed to the elements within minutes.

Assemble Winter Survival Kits for all of your vehicles. Keep them in the vehicles all winter. These items will be readily accessible if kept inside your vehicle. The kit should include:

three-pound coffee can, which can be used to melt snow for additional drinking water
candle stubs and matches
metal cup
red bandanna
a plastic whistle to alert rescuers to your location
pencil and paper
quarters for phone calls
first aid kit including any essential medications
plastic flashlight with spare batteries (reverse the batteries to avoid accidental switching and burnout, and replace batteries yearly)
two large plastic garbage bags
safety pins (bags are for insulation for feet, safety pins keep the bags together)
snack foods for energy, such as candy bars
Some other items that you should carry include extra sets of dry clothing, snowmobile suit, gloves or mittens, winter boots, blankets and/or sleeping bags, jumper cables, a basic toolbox, a shovel, a bag of sand or other grit for traction, tow cable or chain, road flares and reflectors.

Whenever traveling in winter, call ahead to your destination and convey when you intend to leave, what travel route you will take, and your expected time of arrival.

Additional Materials Available

For more information about safe driving and winter survival kits, contact the American Red Cross (St Paul Chapter: 651-291-4699, Minneapolis Chapter: 612-391-7352)), the Minnesota Safety Council (651-291-9150 or 800-444-9150), or the Minnesota Division of Emergency Management (651-296-2233).

Dialing 911 On A Cell Phone

Cell phones can help you in an emergency, and in some cases, make the difference between life and death. To be effective, motorists need to know what information dispatchers need in an emergency including the location of the problem or incident.

All calls to 9-1-1 from cell phones are automatically routed to State Patrol dispatchers in 11 statewide districts across Minnesota. Unlike most calls to 9-1-1 from your residence, the location of the caller is not displayed on the dispatcher's computer screen. In order to quickly dispatch emergency service personnel, the dispatcher must rely on the caller to tell them the location and nature of the emergency.

The Minnesota State Patrol urges cellular users to learn to pay attention to the following details that could help them remember their location in case of an emergency:

Mile markers and highway exit numbers
The county or city in which you're driving
The county or state highway number or road on which you're driving
The direction of travel

In addition, cellular customers should teach their passengers how to use their cellular phone and review with them the procedures for placing a 9-1-1 call, such as:

Call 9-1-1 only to report emergencies
Tell the 9-1-1 dispatcher that you are calling from a cellular phone
Know your location
Give the dispatcher the cellular phone number where you are calling from
Stay on the line until the dispatcher tells you to hang up, or help arrives
Remain calm and provide as many details as possible
Don't put yourself in danger. Stay near the emergency scene only if it's safe.

When calling 9-1-1 to report an emergency, dispatchers need to know:

Nature of the problem (a traffic accident, a medical emergency, impaired driver, fire, stalled vehicle, etc)
Location of the emergency
Whether there are injuries and the number of victims involved
Telephone number where you are calling from
Remember to stay on the line until the dispatcher says it's okay to hang up.