Luck kept me alive - Safe winter driving is your ticket to survival

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  If one thing is certain at any Air Force base, it is the assigned Airmen are very diverse and all hail from different parts of the country and different countries around the world. This colorful mixture of our force is normally a blessing as it inspires people from all walks of life to raise their hand, enlist and become part of an elite yet sundry team.

However, when it comes to certain day-to-day activities - like driving in winter weather, an Airman who grew up in New England would have an obvious environmental advantage to fellow Airmen who grew up in a more southern climate.

I was raised in Southern California. Until I moved to Denver at age 13, I had only seen snow once or twice. For my parents, who also grew up in California, driving in the snow took work as they strove to perfect the 'art' of it.

I remember our first February in Denver well. My father, brothers and I were riding in his truck on a highway, heading north out of the city. As my father drove along, he hit a patch of black ice. Fortunately, he was not driving fast.

Still, when he hit the ice, he made the novice mistake of pressing his foot down hard on the brake pedal. A moment later, we were slowly spinning in a circle - still moving north on the highway.

We made three-full circles and, through a stroke of good fortune, ended up facing north again - still moving in the correct direction.

As we were spinning around, I made eye contact with the driver of the car behind us three separate times, and questioned if we'd survive with each passing gaze.

We made it through the incident without harm or even a fender bender. Nonetheless, in some way we were all changed by our close encounter on that Denver highway.

Whether you are from an area that receives several inches of snow each year or an area that never snows, while you are stationed at Dover Air Force Base, you will encounter driving in winter weather.

I survived a near winter-weather-related tragedy. But don't just take my word for it. The base Safety Office makes the following recommendations:

- Make sure your vehicle is ready for winter. Ensure wipers are in good working order, windshield washer fluid is full and tires have good tread and have an ice scraper handy.
- Keep the following items in your vehicle, especially before long trips: ice scraper, flashlight with batteries, blanket, mittens, socks, hat, a small shovel, sand or kitty litter, jumper cables, and hazard signs or warnings. Also, consider keeping food and water in the car.
- Clear all snow off of all windows before you travel and ensure windows are completely defrosted to allow a clear view. Also, clear snow off the rest of the car as snow may blow into the window of a following car and impair the driver's vision.
- Slow down when conditions are poor and allow more distance in between you and the next vehicle.
- Signal to turn or change lanes sooner than normal; this gives other drivers more time to react.
- Remember that bridges, overpasses, underpasses and shaded areas freeze first, even when temperatures are above 32 degrees.
- If you hit black ice try not to panic or make sudden changes in speed or direction. Ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction that the rear of the vehicle is skidding. Never hit the brakes hard, this will cause you to skid out of control.
- Look well ahead of your vehicle and anticipate problems.
- Allow more time to travel and also listen to the weather report for all areas you will be traveling through or to.