Snow is in the air, and driving in Cincinnati gets bad really quickly.
Honestly, a huge part of why people are so terrible at driving in bad weather is just that they let their nerves take over completely. As soon as a little bit of rain or snow starts coming down, it is like drivers forget everything they ever knew about how to drive a car. According to the State Farm Website, “It’s helpful to know how to drive safely in ice, snow, rain, fog and other inclement weather.” When drivers let the weather mess with their heads way too much, it makes a normal drive feel like a huge, scary deal when it really doesn’t have to be. Drivers act like the world is ending just because the road is a little wet.
You can tell when drivers are scared because they get super stiff and tense behind the wheel. They sit there grabbing the steering wheel so hard their hands turn white, and they stare straight ahead like a statue. When you are that tense, you can’t move your arms or legs smoothly to control the car the right way. They stop looking around or checking their mirrors because they are too busy being terrified, which means they miss seeing things they really need to see.
Snow isn’t the only dangerous weather for drivers. Rain can also be a hazard. According to the NHTAS website, “People often underestimate the power of rushing water. It only takes 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars, and just two feet of rushing water can carry away most trucks and SUVs. The CDC reports the most common type of flood-related drowning occurs when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. When you see the road is flooded, or if there are barriers blocking the road, turn around.”
Because drivers are so freaked out, they start doing really random things that make zero sense. They slam on their brakes hard when nobody is even in front of them, or they swerve just because they feel a tiny bump in the road. It is like they lose their cool entirely. Instead of just driving normally but carefully, they drive wild and jerky, which is actually what causes most of the accidents and problems for the rest of us trying to get home.
The first thing drivers need to do is just take a deep breath and chill out. You can’t drive well if you are shaking in your seat or scared out of your mind. Drivers need to tell themselves that it is just water or snow and it’s going to be fine if they just pay attention. If they can stop panicking for a second and loosen up their muscles, they will realize they can still control the car just fine without acting crazy.
Another tip to stay safe in bad weather is for drivers to give themselves a lot more space and time than they usually do. It is pretty simple: just back off the car in front of you. If you are right on someone’s tail and they stop, you are going to hit them because you can’t stop fast on a slick road. By slowing down just a little bit and leaving a big gap, they give themselves time to think and react without having to slam on the brakes and slide all over the place.
Finally, drivers have to stop being so jerky with the wheel and the pedals. When the road is slippery, you have to be gentle with everything you do. Don’t turn the wheel super-fast and don’t stomp on the gas or the brakes like you are in a race. Everything needs to be smooth and steady. If they could just relax and drive smooth, the car would stick to the road better and everyone would be a lot safer.
