Chatham Police Department issued the following announcement on Nov. 13.
This morning, we responded to a single vehicle accident on Plummer Boulevard near Ravina Drive. Thankfully, the driver wasn't hurt, but the car did not fare as well. This accident was preventable and was caused because the vehicle was traveling too fast for the winter road conditions. Please take note of the winter weather driving tips below to help us prevent any future accidents caused by similar conditions.
- Always allow extra travel time to work, school or wherever you may be heading to. It is likely that other drivers will not be traveling as fast as usual due to the slick road conditions.
- In normal dry pavement conditions, the recommended following distance is 3 to 4 seconds. With slick road conditions, the recommended following distance goes up to 8 to 10 seconds. You want to make sure you give yourself plenty of reaction time.
- Remember to use window scrapers and brushes and keep your vehicle windows, mirrors and lights COMPLETELY free of snow or ice. No one wants to be rear ended by the driver who only cleared out a small portion of their window that they were not able to completely see out of.
- Remember to brake early and slowly. Slamming on your brakes in icy or slick road conditions will likely lead to skidding or loss of control of your vehicle. This causes most of our winter accidents.
- When changing lanes, merging or turning, take it slowly. A few extra seconds and careful driving could prevent you from being involved in an accident.
- Headlights should always be used when there is inclement weather so that other motorists can see you.
- It's a good idea to keep your gas tank halfway full in the winter, just in case you get stuck somewhere.
Thanks and drive safe!
Original source can be found here.
Source: Chatham Police Department
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