Make Sure You See The New Year, Don't Drink & Drive!

It's Almost 2020!

Christmas has come and gone; now it is time to start preparing for the New Year. Let's celebrate our successes from 2019 and how fortunate we are to be seeing the new Year! Whether you plan on going out or hosting a party at home, please be safe while doing so. Here are three tips to remember while you ring in 2020.

Eat or Serve Food 

Staying up till midnight can be hard, serve or eat plenty of food to keep everyone going. Have non-alcoholic beverages too. Doing this will hopefully ensure that no one gets too out of sorts and that you all have a great night. 

Charge your Phone

Ensure that your cell phone is fully charged before you go anywhere. Emergencies can happen at any time, especially on a night when most of the population is exceptionally active, being prepared to respond is critical. Even make sure it has full charge in case you need to call for a ride.

Designated Drivers are a Must

If you head out for the evening to a party, decide ahead of time who will be the designated driver for the night. As well, if you are staying in, make sure your house guests all have designated drivers or have the ability to stay over if they overindulge. Remember that when serving alcohol, you can be held liable for accidents caused by a guest that was overserved in your home or establishment. If you find yourself in a jam, always remember you can call a cab, get an Uber or a Lyft. 

Every Year we see or hear about accidents on New Year's Eve, sadly most have to do with an intoxicated driver and many are fatal. Take a moment right now, to decide you and your friends won't become a statistic this year. We all want to have fun, but we also want to continue living and loving like we usually do. So don't slack when it comes to your and everyone else's safety this New Year's Eve! DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!

Winter Driving Tips

Winter Driving

For most, this is the most wonderful time of the year; kids jingle belling, and everyone telling you be of good cheer, but for some, Winter means driving in the elements. Especially living in the Pacific Northwest, we are hit with bad weather and terrible road conditions, year after year. If you are anything like me, you probably spend most of the Winter months cursing the roads and terrible drivers. It's an entire season devoted to white knuckle, wheel clenching and gritted teeth. Accidents happen every year, due to the inclement wrath of mother nature, and most often times these incidents could have been avoided. Drivers need to practice safe and defensive winter driving. Here are a few tips to use this season and remember the point of going anywhere is to actually get there, if the roads are too dangerous, the best and safest bet is to STAY HOME.

Fall Driving Tips brought to you by the Palouse RTPO &

The Palouse Driver Safety Campaign.

Watch out for icy spots on the road

Always keep your eyes on the road and pay attention to rough patches. Not all areas see the same traffic or get their roads plowed right away, if you see bad patches of road, avoid them if possible, but go slowly through them if needed.

Don't Use Cruise Control

Being in full control of your vehicle is crucial to navigate terrible roads. If cruise control is engaged when the vehicle is hydroplaning or sliding, the wheels 

will continue to spin 

as it tries to maintain 

speed and you will lose 

all control of the vehicle. 

TAP your brakes

When driving in the snow knowing if your car has antilock brakes or not is important. Most cars come standard with ABS. When trying to stop on snow or ice DON'T slam on the breaks. Pump or tap the brakes till you feel the wheels catch traction. Always begin slowing down for stops a ways in advance.

Clear ALL frost from windows
Frosty may have been a magical talking snow man but when your car is all frosty there is nothing magical about that. Frosted windows have no place on an open road. Obstructing your view will only endanger yourself and those around you. Always give your self time to clear all  of your car and windows of frost and snow, before departing. 

Prepare vehicle for Winter
You wouldn't go play full contact football without the proper training and equipment, so why would you treat your winter driving the same? It is in fact dangerous to drive without having your vehicle equipped with proper snow tires and have chains for extreme situations. Get ready before it is too late. Also check that antifreeze levels are topped off, use winter windshield wiper fluid, and switch to winter-grade oil at your next oil change.

Leave extra space & go SLOW
Being too close to the driver in front of you & going too fast while on snowy roads causes many, many accidents. Not giving ourselves the extra space and time to slow down could leave us sliding into someone else. Never go faster than you are comfortable and give yourself extra time to get places so you can do so safely.

Be prepared for emergencies 

Stock your vehicle with supplies in case an emergency goes happen. Basic kits are easy to find online or in store. Include things like: flashlights, extra batteries, blanket, snacks, water, gloves, boots, and winter travel gear. Things like tire chains, ice scrapers, jumper cables, and road flares are good to have. Having some of these things could be a life saver if you actually need to use them in an emergency situation. 

Correct direction AFTER regaining control of vehicle
Many times people are told to turn into the slide and try and get the back end of the car in line with the front again, but we are finding that can sometimes make the situation worse. So general rule of thumb would be to correct your direction of travel only after you have stopped sliding and once again have control of the vehicle.

BE AWARE, CARE, & SHARE

Fall Safe Driving Tips

FALL DRIVING

It's that time of year again, roadways are becoming more hazardous as we finish off Fall and head into the Winter & holiday season. Whether we are doing our daily commute to work & school, or traveling over the river & through the woods, to Grandmother's house, we can expect to see roads in varying conditions. It is only practical that we prepare ourselves to utilize the roadways in a manner reflecting our respect for the lives of those around us. Even though fall doesn't seem to have many perilous road conditions, there are dangers lurking all around. If you aren't careful, you could fall victim to Fall. Here a few tips to keep you going safely during the Autumn season. 

                                                                                                 Don't Brake on Leaves       

Fall Driving Tips brought to you by The Palouse RTPO &
The Palouse Driver Safety Campaign.

Leaves can hold lots of moisture and become slippery. Avoid traveling at a high rate of speed over them and braking hard, as this can cause your vehicle to slide just like on ice. 

Clear ALL Frost from WindowsFreezing your fanny off to scrape windows is never fun, but absolutely necessary. As well, letting your car heater defrost the windows can take a longer amount of time than you have, but driving with any frost on your windshield or other windows, obstructs your view. This increases your chances of causing a traffic accident. 

Never drive with frosty windows.

Avoid Sun Glare, If possible

Directly before sunset and after sunrise can be the worst times to travel, especially if you have to drive into the sun. Sun glare can be blinding. If you must travel during this time try scheduling to leave a few minutes later to give the sun time to get more out of the way, if you can.

Watch Out for Icy Bridges

Even though snow is not on the ground, quite yet, temperatures are still dropping below freezing at night, leaving us with slightly icy roads and bridges. Take caution when driving over shadowed patches on the road and bridges as they can be covered with ice.

Let Your Eyes Adjust to the Light

The worst factor, for winter and fall driving, is the lack of natural light. As the sun is out far less we have to prepare to drive in the dark. The average eye takes five to 10 minutes to adjust to the dark, allot for this in your schedule, and hit the road when you can properly see. 

Watch Out for Deer

Before snow blankets the ground, we see an increase of deer and wildlife activity. Watch for wildlife along the roadsides during peak activity hours; from sunset to midnight and directly before sunrise. Use high beams to possibly illuminate their eyes & remember deer seldom travel alone, his buddies are most likely close.

Be Cautious in Rainy Conditions

Rain can be dangerous to travel in as well. Fresh rain can lead to hydroplaning and loss of vehicle control. Pull over if rain or fog is too dense, impairing visibility, & wait for better conditions. Drive slow, use fog lights, and hazard flashers in extreme situations.

Keep Up On Vehicle Maintenance

It can sound a little silly to say because it seems like common sense but making sure your vehicle is travel ready is SO important. Ensure you change the oil, swap out old windshield wipers and try to keep that needle above E, and you can easily avoid some odd emergency roadside circumstances.

BE AWARE, CARE, & SHARE!