When you live in the infamous Puget Sound Convergence Zone, you have to learn to appreciate (or tolerate) unpredictable weather patterns.
We’ve already experienced a mixed bag of wacky weather this fall, where intermittent sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures book-ended dark and gloomy clouds and an extended period of flood-provoking rain. But with the season’s first lowland snowfall threatening to arrive, now is the perfect time to get yourself and your vehicle into shape for winter driving. Here are a few reminders we’d like to share:
— Make sure you’re well rested and unimpaired before you get behind the wheel of a car. There’s never a good excuse to drink and drive.
— Take it slow and increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Those extra seconds it takes to arrive at your destination safely are time well spent.
— Turn on your headlights and wear your seat belt.
— Drive for the conditions and allow for additional stopping distance.
— Avoid abrupt actions, especially weaving in and out of traffic and cutting in front of large trucks. Do you really want to risk collision with 40,000 tons of moving steel? Trust us, you’ll lose.
— Turn off your cruise control in icy conditions. Relinquishing control of your vehicle’s speed in critical situations is a dicey proposition.
— Make sure you have proper tire pressure and a well-stocked emergency car kit, including items such as jumper cables, an ice scraper, a blanket, flashlight and batteries. For good measure, toss in some sand or kitty litter, bottled water and energy bars.
— Pay particular attention to traffic lights and remember that when power is out, a dark intersection serves as an automatic four-way stop and not a free-for-all opportunity to step on the gas and hope someone coming from the opposite direction understands the rules better than you.
— Watch for pedestrians. With an increased number of folks using transit, foot traffic around bus stops has intensified.
Finally, a reminder to pedestrians: That black hoody sweatshirt paired with black pants and black shoes may be a cool fashion statement, but it makes you essentially invisible in the dark. If you’re walking, add some reflective material or a flashlight.
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