Adapting To
Changing Road
Conditions
Pay close attention to unexpected road conditions
Your Cadillac is made to run perfect in adverse
driving conditions but certain road conditions make it tough to drive.
Learning what to do can help you avoid being in an accident when
the roads have ice or snow on them things get even more difficult. To reduce
your chances of being involved in an accident in these conditions, keep your
traveling speed to a minimum and always give some extra space to cars on the
road. In addition, reduce your speed during the first 10 minutes of a
big rainfall. During this time the rain causes the oil on the road to surface
and creates a potentially slippery surface. My father never use to drive
during the first snowfall of the year for the same reason the oil comes up
from the pavement after being suppressed all summer long.
Braking
Instinct makes us want to slam on the brakes during a
dangerous situation. You will greatly benefit if you train yourself to pump
the brakes or to “squeeze” them rather then slamming them on. Your instinct
can be modified with some training and a conscience awareness to avoid doing
it. Slamming on brakes causing your wheels to lock up and you lose all control of
your vehicle. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) is reducing this threat and allows some controllability,
but add ice into the equation and the above advice becomes more compelling.
Tips on what you can do to increase your chances of
surviving an accident.
Whenever we get into our car, there is always a split
second moment that we pray to ourselves that everything will be alright,
that we won’t have an accident. Sometimes accidents happen and doing a few
things before may help you to live through one.
- Use your seatbelt! it sounds stupid that you
wouldn't use one but the number of drivers that still do not use their
seatbelts is shocking. Make sure that you always use your seatbelt as well
as any passengers in your car. Remember, as the driver you are responsible
for their actions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
reports that lap and shoulder belts can reduce the likelihood of fatality
by 40 to 50%. Seatbelts save lives because:
- It allows you and your car to decelerate at the
same speed. You become a union with your vehicle rather than an
independent object. This also reduces your chances of being propelled
forward as the car stops. Think of it this way, put a stone in a bottle
and move it and shake it around. The bottle represents the car and
you’re the stone. You can hear the stone hitting all the sides of the
bottle? Now, put some glue on the pebble and allow it to dry. Hear the
difference? The bottle represents the car and you’re the stone. Next
time you get into your car think of the stone and the bottle.
An air bag can and will save your life.
If you have the opportunity, buy a car with an airbag.
They really do save lives. An airbag can reduce the chances of crash being
fatal by 20 to 40% and when combined with using seatbelts this number climbs
to 45% survivability. This is a huge percent when talking about the
difference of life and death.
- Lock your doors. Locking your doors prevents them
from flying open upon an impact. An open door increases your chances of
ejection and ejection is a bad thing. Think Nascar drivers, they have done
wonders to try to keep them from flying out of their cars during an
accident you should be the same as them. Getting ejected from your car is
the last thing that you want to happen.
- Remove unnecessary objects. Everything in your car
is a potential weapon upon impact. Do you really want that ceramic coffee
mug with hot coffee you have on your dash flying at your face at 70mph?
See our other
accident prevention tips for more safety when it comes to driving your
Cadillac. |
