With the late arrival of the winter season in our country, safe driving in cold weather, snowy, and icy conditions has once again come to the agenda. Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener, emphasizing that winter tires' tread depth should be a minimum of 4 mm, said, "If you are not obliged to travel by car for work, do not go. Prefer to travel using public transportation."
Lecturer at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener, offered recommendations on safe driving in winter conditions.
Do not drive if you don't have to!
Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener stated that with the late arrival of the winter season in our country, issues related to driving in cold weather, snowy roads, icy roads, and foggy weather have come to the agenda again, and added, "Let's remind all our drivers of our most important advice once again. The safest action you can take when weather and road conditions worsen is to avoid driving. If you are not obliged to travel by car for work, do not go. Prefer to travel using public transportation."
Make sure your vehicle is suitable for travel
Özgür Şener, stating that recommendations should be taken into account if driving is necessary due to work or as an obligation, listed the following points to be observed:
- Make sure your vehicle is suitable for travel.
- Before hitting the road, take time to carefully check your vehicle. Know that if these conditions are not met, you will not be able to travel safely.
- The time you dedicate and the expenses you make to prepare your vehicle for travel before hitting the road will be much, much less than the time and expenses incurred in an accident or breakdown if you fail to meet these conditions.
- Are there any deformations such as cracks or tears in your tires, and are your tire pressures appropriate? (The appropriate tire pressures for the vehicle can be found on the fuel cap, inside the driver's door, or in the vehicle's owner's manual. Tire pressure values are not changed in summer and winter; it is sufficient for them to be at the appropriate pressure value).
Tire tread depths must be a minimum of 4 mm
- Is the tread depth of your winter tires sufficient? It should be a minimum of 4mm.
- Are all your headlights and lights in working order?
- Is there any malfunction or warning information on the vehicle's indicators?
- Are the vehicle's ventilation, air conditioning, and window defrosters working?
- Ensure that your vehicle's energy source is at a minimum of ¾ of its total capacity to provide power. If possible, top it up every time it reaches ½. Even if it's not your fault, you can thus ensure you have the necessary energy in case of a breakdown.
Always add antifreeze to your windshield washer fluid!
- Check that the vehicle's wipers are sturdy, functional, and in working order by operating them.
- Check that your windshield wiper fluid is sufficient. In winter months, water without antifreeze freezes and puts the driver in a difficult situation. Always add antifreeze to your windshield washer fluid and, for circulation, clean your front and rear windows once after adding antifreeze.
- Clean all windows and mirrors that provide your visibility and ensure full visibility. Snow remaining on the top of vehicles can fall onto the windshield when braking during driving, completely blocking the driver's view and potentially causing an accident.
Run your vehicle in place every 4-5 days without moving it…
- In today's vehicle technology, there is no longer a need to keep vehicles running for a period before moving them. However, you may choose to start your vehicle to understand if there is a problem with its operation, to warm up the interior slightly, or to clear fog from your windows.
- Vehicles for private use, especially in bad weather conditions and when there is a lot of snow on the ground, are often not moved for long periods. In such situations, we recommend running your vehicle in place every 4-5 days without moving it. This way, you can ensure the healthy operation of all systems, including your battery.
- In snowy weather, an emergency situation may arise, and you may be forced to use your vehicle. Therefore, we recommend regularly clearing snow from your vehicle.