maybe we should have gone here instead!
BeaveRun Motorsports Complex Press Release
Winter roads are \"the icing on the cake\" (for crashes)
BeaveRun Offers Help
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wampum, PA - 12/14/09
The recent ice storm that hit western Pennsylvania points to the importance of having good winter driving skills. The proper reaction to encountering a slippery surface or arresting a skid is not intuitive. Only by learning, and then using, proven techniques can we avoid becoming a driver who suffers a crash. While many blame crashes on icy conditions and the failure of the salt truck to be out early enough, most crashes occur because drivers fail to use those skills that enable them to properly address low traction surfaces. However, western Pennsylvania drivers have an alternative. BeaveRun offers a free 20-minute Winter Driving Tips as a public service presentation that introduces drivers to time-proven means to \"weather the storm.\"
The dismal rate of crashes in the United States shows that we have our hands full with risky driving behavior. Research proves that distractions cause a high percentage of crashes. Despite this overwhelming evidence, we insist on operating non-essential gadgets and activities while driving, all of which divert our attention, impede proper maneuvering and increase the probability of a crash. Wintery driving conditions are \"the icing on the cake\", increasing our odds of a crash even further due to slippery roads, reduced visibility, loss of traction and the almost inevitable freezing of reflexes in an emergency.
We all know that we should complete a vehicle winter checkup which includes the electrical system, brakes, tires, exhaust system, heating/cooling system, wipers, windshield washer fluid deicer and fuel. We also know to carry a winter driving kit with emergency equipment including warm clothes, sunglasses, drinking water, deicing fluid, communication devices, reflective stands, a small shovel and traction materials such as kitty litter and a welcome mat. It is just as important to prepare yourself as well. Before embarking on a winter drive, be sure you are alert and dressed warmly, plan your route and inform others of your destination and ETA, check all lights and remove ice and snow from the car.
Unfortunately, the most effective thing we can do to reduce the odds of having a crash may not be apparent, even to a seasoned driver. We must learn how to use our use our eyes, our hands (steering) and our feet (accelerator and brake) properly to avoid sliding in the first instance, and then to recover from unintended skids. Fortunately, BeaveRun Winter Driving Tips, a 20-minute public service presentation offered free of charge, describes both winter preparation and safe driving techniques: a must for all drivers.
If you really want to learn how to avoid skids, how to negotiate icy hills and how to recover from an unintended front or rear-wheel slide, as well as many other safe driving techniques, all under the guidance of a professional instructor, the BeaveRun Winter Driving Program is for you. Exciting hands-on training on a skid pad and a final test on the BeaveRun winter hazard course prepare you to control your vehicle under challenging conditions.
While we can choose not to be distracted by avoiding cell phone use, texting and checking email, and by not eating that bacon double-cheeseburger behind the wheel, we cannot avoid what Mother Nature throws our way. On the other hand, we can train and prepare for it.
Currently, Winter Driving Skills is scheduled at BeaveRun on December 28th, January 23rd and February 27th.
You may find out more information about BeaveRun programs or register by calling 724.535.1000, or by looking at our website:
www.beaverun.com.
