Safely avoid potential winter hazards

Winter can be a beautiful time of year, particularly when freshly fallen snow blankets the landscape. However, winter is also a time fraught with potential peril. The same winter weather that makes landscapes so pristine can make roads and walkways - and even being outside - dangerous.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says weather-related vehicle crashes killed 6,253 people last year and injure more than 480,000 per year. These accidents most often occur when roadways are wet, snowy or icy.

Cautious driving is smart driving when conditions turn bad. Exercise extra caution when driving on roadways during the winter, as they may contain ice or snow. All it takes is a small coating of precipitation on roadways to make driving treacherous. Wet-looking roadways may be wet, or they may be covered by ice, and it’s difficult to tell the difference with the naked eye.

Drivers should slow down and assume they are driving on ice. They should increase their following distance to allow for unanticipated problems ahead that require defensive reactions. Maintaining good visibility by checking windshield washer fluid levels and ensuring windshield blades are in good working order is essential.