Winter is coming; here are some tips from first responders on how to prepare for it
Winter is officially less than two weeks away. Dangers of winter weather are well documented, but it’s still not too late to prepare for extreme cold and other hazards that come with the season.
The Fraternal Order of Police recently released its Winter Driving Tips, which were compiled by officers from across the nation who have first-hand experience dealing with bad road conditions during the winter months.
Some helpful reminders include making sure your car has a full tank of gas, carrying a wad of $20 bills or other local currency, carrying an emergency supply kit (including food, water, and blankets), and making sure your phone battery doesn’t die before you can call for help.
Winter weather advisories have been issued ahead of a winter storm expected to impact the Northeast this week.
The FOP offers some additional safety tips:
- If you get stuck, put your car in park and set the parking brake. Turn on your hazard lights and tie a brightly colored cloth to an outside mirror or antenna so that people will see it from a distance. Run the engine only long enough to stay warm – ten minutes every hour is too long. This uses a lot of fuel and can cause water in the gas tank to freeze.
- Play loud music when you run your engine. It’s more important when working with children, but it will help keep you alert as well. You may even want to keep the radio on at low volume when not running the engine.
- Put together an emergency kit that will keep you warm in your car. Consider having blankets, matches (to start a fire if necessary), candles, flares or reflective triangles, shovel, tow chain or rope, extra winter clothing including hats, gloves, and boots, flashlight with extra batteries, battery booster cables, bottled water, and non-perishable food items.
For more winter driving tips visit here.
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