Every year, nearly 6 million cases of vehicular accidents occur on US roads, with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) further detailing that 22 percent of them are weather-related. Although accidents happen unexpectedly at any time, people can reduce their risks of getting involved in one.
Auto drivers cannot control the weather, but they can control how to act upon it. Implementing safety precautions when driving during hazardous weather can lessen their risk of getting involved in an accident.
It is not new information to people that snow and rain often make the road slippery, resulting in vehicles skidding; thus, drivers should slow down, control their steering and be careful when taking sharp turns. Consequently, when stopping, they should slowly decelerate and apply the brakes gradually. It reduces the brake pads’ tendency to slip and prevents the vehicle from getting rear-ended by the car behind them.
Besides employing safety precautions when driving during hazardous weather, drivers should also note their driving environment. It would be best to find out information on the route they will be passing through to know if the roads are safe and avoid passing through floods.
Moreover, having regular maintenance and proper vehicle check-ups ensures drivers that their cars are in good driving condition and prevent their vehicles from breaking down in the middle of the road. Maintenance checks are crucial, especially during wintertime. Drivers must make sure that their cars are in perfect condition to withstand the cold.
It is best to have their vehicles serviced at an auto shop as an expert car mechanic can determine if the car parts, including the car battery, engine, and radiator, can survive through the cold weather that wintertime will bring.
Subsequently, there are other vital parts of a car engine that drivers must know about, such as the fuel injectors. Fuel injectors are part of the fuel management system, and their function is to deliver the right amount of fuel to the combustion chamber. When fuel injectors become faulty, these typically provide warning signs, such as trouble in the fuel system or decreased engine performance and power. Thus, drivers should keep an eye out for engine problems and faulty fuel injectors.
Drivers should also understand that different car engines have distinctive fuel injectors. For instance, a car has a Ford Power Stroke engine; therefore, it is best to replace its fuel injectors with Powerstroke injectors. On the other hand, if a vehicle has a Cummins engine, its fuel injectors should be replaced with Cummins injectors.
Planning regular car maintenance ensures drivers that their car is in the right driving condition and also assures that their vehicle can adapt to various weather events. However, in extreme weather conditions, drivers should reassess their situation and their cars before deciding to hit the road. This infographic from Pure Diesel Power provides further details on how drivers could stay safe when driving during bad weather.