Driving safety a concern ahead of winter weather

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - With the threat of sleet and snow, you'll want to be extra careful on the roads on Friday.

As temperatures decrease, and the threat of severe weather increases, motorists must take extra precautions to keep themselves and others safe.

"Anytime we have any kind of ice or snow or anything like that, yes, we see a lot of crashes, because you know vehicles aren't equipped, snow change, things of that nature," Sergeant Steve Jarrett with ALEA said.

Nathan Woodring, store manager at Don Duncan's All American Auto and Tire, said driving safety in the winter isn't just about how you drive, it's also about making sure the vehicle you do drive is prepared, because cold temperatures can affect your engine, battery and tire pressure.

"Anti-freeze does more than just keep your engine from freezing, which that is a big part of it, but it also prevents rust and it has a better cooling agent and that kind of thing too but that is the biggest one I would say," Woodring said.

"Hot weather kills batteries, really cold weather kills batteries. They both kill them at about the same rate. Have your battery tested and if that tests bad then obviously you need a new battery. Nobody loves to go out there and hear the click," Woodring said. "Especially if it's doing like it is now and raining and cold, you want to have a lot of tread on the tires. Make sure you can evacuate any slush or water."

There are some other things you can do, starting with learning how to drive on icy roads, something many Alabama drivers don't have much experience with.

"We would discourage anybody from driving if at all possible, so basically stay off the roads if possible. If you must drive you must adjust your driving to the weather conditions. That means lower your speed, increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you and you know of course always wear a seat belt and just be a little more careful," Jarrett said.

However, the safest thing to do if the roads begin to freeze is to stay home.

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