The cold weather has made it’s way to Ross County! This means it’s time to use extra caution on the roads. It’s best to avoid driving when the roads are bad, but if it is absolutely necessary to travel we have some safety tips for you!

1. Avoid driving night hours and try to travel with someone.
2. Know how to recover from skids. When braking on a slippery road, it’s a reaction  to “lock up” your wheels by stepping on the brakes a little too hard. If you start to skid, steer the vehicle gently in the direction you want the front of your vehicle to go and don’t touch your brakes.
3. Keep bottled water in your car. Incase you are traveling somewhere that you may become stranded this will keep you hydrated.
4. Pack a winter travel safety kit. Include a cell phone, an ice scraper and brush, a tow rope (incase you need pulled out), cat litter (to help get traction if you can not take off after a stop), blankets, a good flashlight, a candle, matches, a good book, a portable weather radio and a can of lock de-icer. (Never use hot water on your locks. When it refreezes it will be worse.)
5. Let friends or family members know where you will be going and when you should be expected to return. This gives them an idea of where to look incase you would become stuck without cell phone service.
6. If a snowstorm occurs while driving that makes it dangerous to see pull off to the side of the road and turn your hazard lights on to let other cars see you.
7. If you’re stranded for an extended period of time, run your engine for about 10 minutes every hour to stay warm. Open a window slightly for ventilation while the car is running, to prevent any carbon monoxide buildup. Remove any snow or debris that builds up on your car’s exhaust pipe.
8. Slow down. A good rule of thumb is to reduce speed by 50 percent in snowy conditions. The road conditions may be worse than they look. It is always best to use caution.
9. Keep at least half a tank of gas in your car at all times. Not only does this keep you from running out of gas in the cold weather, but it also helps prevent your gas lines from freezing.
10. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and in good condition. This will help you keep better traction on the roads.

We hope these tips will be able to help you stay safe during your winter travels! Stay safe!