Editor’s Note: When I was 16, I hit a patch of black ice while driving home from my part-time job and slammed into a guardrail outside of Medina.
In those pre-cell phone days, when we relied on strangers and pay phones, I wasn’t sure what to say when the tow truck driver asked me where I wanted him to haul my damaged car. My parents were at church, so I had the driver take the car to St. Francis Xavier. I’ll never forget the look on their faces when they walked out of mass and saw the tow truck with me in the front seat, pulling the family car.
For the record, almost any place other than a church parking lot would have been a better place to take the car, Dad said; advice I’ve carried with me for 50 years, along with acquiring better winter driving skills.
Now that we’re getting into the thick of winter, it’s smart to brush up on these driving tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- Maintain your vehicle. Keep the windshield washer reservoir full, make sure your wipers are good, and check tire tread. Good tires are a game changer.
- Pay attention to weather conditions. Do you really need to go out if a bunch of snow is on its way? Probably not.
- Keep plenty of gas in your car in case you get stuck in traffic or need to take a longer route to get home.
- Carry emergency supplies: a blanket, a shovel, a charged phone, snacks, water, boots, warm clothing, an ice scraper, a broom and sand or cat litter (for traction if you get stuck).
