The winter months are upon us, but as folks get ready to see their families for the holidays, driving becomes more and more treacherous.
According to a 2021 study from MoneyGeek, Pennsylvania is the fifth-deadliest state in the country in winter weather fatalities. Even though the study revealed that northern states, like Pennsylvania, are more dangerous than the southern states in the winter months, keeping those numbers down is the responsibility of the people.
Protecting the local community is of utmost importance, and it can be done with just a few easy precautions.
To start, keeping your car in tip-top shape can save your life when it matters most. State College resident Clare O’Neill outlined what she does to prepare to drive in poor weather conditions.
“Just having in the back seat of my car, shovels, the wiper to wipe the snow off, just having my boots at hand,” O’Neill said. “And honestly, just trying not to drive in the snow is my tip for myself.”
Community members are encouraged to follow O’Neill’s lead be cautionary before attempting any winter driving. Other ways that you can help keep our area safe while driving in the wintertime are keeping your tires properly inflated, never using cruise control in icy or snowy conditions, and always keeping at least half a tank of fuel in your vehicle.
Marlaine Fannin, a community relations coordinator in the public information office at PennDOT explained how travel alerts can help motorists while they are on the road.
“It’s timely information that we’re trying to share as quickly as possible,” Fannin said. “That becomes important because it lays out what kind of weather is expected, what kind of road and weather conditions, what drivers could expect.”
Fannin continued, saying that the absolute best thing that folks can do in hazardous conditions is to not drive at all, just as O’Neill mentioned earlier.
Staying safe is up to you, but one simple phrase can significantly improve your wellbeing on treacherous winter roads—be prepared!
Filming the standup for the story’s video version