Living in New Jersey means that when winter comes, driving can get a bit interesting and dangerous depending on the winter weather conditions outside. And there’s no doubt that you’ve seen drivers zip right past you and high speeds during falling snow. But the last thing you want to be is that person who’s putting yourself in danger by not respecting the weather outside.
This is especially true when you pay for a leased car every month. You want to be sure you are alive for years to come and that your vehicle arrives safe and sound every time you leave home during the winter. Today, your safe driving friends at Drivrz Financial have put together our top five tips for safe winter driving in your leased car so you can arrive at your destination comfortable, safe, and calm.
Drive Smoothly
One of the biggest keys to driving safely in the snow is always being smooth with your steering, acceleration, and braking. When you make jerky movements, it can cause your tires to unstick from the road, so be sure that every movement is deliberate, gradual, and gentle. Something to try is to imagine a hot cup of coffee filled to the brim with no lid sitting in your lap and drive, so you don’t spill it.
Keep Your Eyes Ahead of You
When it snows or rains in the winter in New Jersey, the roads can be an icy, sloppy mess. And as the roads get slipperier, the further down the road ahead, you should look and anticipate. Keep your eyes peeled on the road and be sure to slow way down before turns. And always allow double the stopping distance on wet roads, triple on snow-covered roads, and even far more distance for icy roads.
Listen To Your Stability-Control System
If you’re leasing a newer car that’s only a couple of years old, chances are it has a stability-control warning system that will light up whenever your tires have lost traction with the road. This is one of the best ways to know when you actually have traction to turn, maneuver, or even stop on a snow-covered road in New Jersey. Don’t know what the stability-control system flashing light is? It’s the one that looks like the outline of a car with squiggly lines coming from behind it. If this light activates while you’re driving, turning, or accelerating, be sure to let up on the accelerator until you’re no longer applying any throttle. This will allow your tires to regain traction with the road.
Look Where You Want to Go
Ever find yourself in a skid across the snow-covered road or when you’re making a turn on wet, icy roads? You’re not alone. But one of the most important things to remember if your car is skidding in the snow is to look where you want to go. Don’t look where the car is heading at that precise moment, but always look where you want to go. It’s precisely what racing drivers do whenever they’re in a skid.
Make The Most of Your Anti-Lock Braking System
If you have to stop quickly on the snow or ice and you can’t avoid it, be sure that you fully engage your car’s anti-lock brake system or ABS. Your leased car is equipped with ABS brakes, which are actually designed to use the computer to optimize the braking in extreme conditions. So, if you’re in a skid and can’t recover or have to stop right now, push down on the brake pedal as hard as you can and don’t let it go. Once you do that, your car’s computer will take over from there and keep each wheel braking as aggressively as the traction each tire has will allow. One of the best things about ABS is that you can keep braking and steering to avoid your obstacle at the same time because the computer will adjust the braking force at each wheel to give you the ability to maneuver while stopping.
Safe winter driving starts with understanding the best things you can do to keep you and your passengers safe. These five tips from Drivrz Financial will help keep you safe while driving your leased car during the cold, snowy New Jersey winters. And for all your used car leasing financing needs, be sure to call the pros at Drivrz Financial today at 1-800-436-0476!
