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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DIG OUT WITH
COMMON SENSE
Avoid the Stress, Strain & Dangers of
Digging Your Car Out of the Snow and Hitting the Road
Meriden
, CT - February 14, 2003 -
Stress, strains, accidents and other dangerous conditions often accompany a snowstorm. Although thousands of drivers
have been digging their cars out from under this winter’s snow, a sore back, fender-benders and serious injuries don’t have to be the inevitable result. To
get off to a safe start, follow some common sense advice.
“Clear the tailpipe of any snow before you start your car engine,” advised
Ray Palermo, director of public relations for Teachers’ Insurance Plan. “And,
if the snow is above the bottom of your car, dig a hole through the snow to the
mid-section of your car’s underbody to allow any leaks from your exhaust system to
vent as well.” Without proper ventilation, deadly gases can quickly build up in the
passenger compartment. In addition, the insurer advises:
See & Be Seen – Clearing the ice and snow from your windshield and rear window is
a good start, but don’t stop there – the headlights, taillights and side view mirrors
are essential for visibility. And, don’t forget to clear away snow from the hood and
roof, which will only blow onto your front and rear windows again, and onto the cars
behind you.
Avoid Stress & Strain – It’s
tempting to get your car cleared off in the first attempt, but
if you’re not physically up to the task take it in steps,
bring a friend or hire a local towing company.
Rock It! – If digging and
spreading of sand near the wheels still doesn’t get you out –
use your car’s weight to your advantage. Flooring the
accelerator pedal rarely helps and can result in an unexpected
and potentially uncontrollably dangerous acceleration. But, by
rocking the car with quick forward and reverse movements you
can often use the weight and force of the car to push out and
over snow.
In a Skid? – If once you’re on the
road you go into a skid, turn in the direction of the skid. It
may seem counterintuitive at first and even a little scary
when doing it, but turning into the skid is your best chance
to regain some traction. If you have anti-lock brakes, apply
firm and continuous pressure. If you do not have anti-lock
brakes, mimic that effect by pumping the brakes.
Up…and Down – When you are heading
up an icy or snow covered hill you’ll have the best chance of
safely making it up by approaching it at a slow speed and
maintaining that slow speed at a steady rate. Avoid sudden
stops, quick accelerations and jerky motions. When heading
down, shift into a lower gear before making your descent and
maintain a slow steady speed, rather than relying mostly on
your brakes to improve traction.
Teachers’ Insurance Plan regularly issues safety tips, reports, analyses, conducts
original research and sponsors surveys as a public service. Additional information
is available at www.teachers.com.
# # #
CONTACT: Frank Sodaro -
312-494-6820 -
FSodaro@unitrin.com
For more information about Teachers’ Insurance
Plan or for a free rate quote, contact
us today.
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