WHP Lieutenant: Now is the Time to Prepare for Winter Driving

Wyoming Highway Patrol Lieutenant Louis Tegdesch appeared on Sheridan Media’s Pulse to urge the public to prepare their vehicle for winter driving. 

Tegdesch said now is the time to prepare your car or truck for the upcoming winter season. 

  Lt. L. Tegdesch

Get Your Car Serviced

Visit your mechanic for a tune-up and ask them to check for leaks, badly worn hoses, or other needed parts, repairs, and replacements.

Know Your Car

Read your vehicle’s manual to familiarize yourself with the safety features on your vehicle—such as antilock brakes and electronic stability control—and how the features perform in wintry conditions. When renting a car, become familiar with the vehicle before driving it off the lot.

Stock Your Vehicle

Carry items in your vehicle to handle common winter driving-related tasks, and supplies you might need in an emergency, including:

Snow shovel, broom, and ice scraper;

Abrasive material such as sand or kitty litter, in case your vehicle gets stuck in the snow;

Jumper cables, flashlight, and warning devices such as flares and emergency markers;

Blankets for protection from the cold; and a cell phone with charger, water, food, and any necessary medicine (for longer trips or when driving in lightly populated areas).

The Wyoming Department of Transportation and the WHP recommend the following prior to taking to the road on longer holiday trips: 

Check Conditions First: Always check real-time road and weather conditions before leaving by calling 511 or visiting the 511 Travel Information Web page.

Speed and Space: Buckle your seat belt, slow down, and adjust your speed and following distance for slick or snowy conditions. Use low-beam headlights when driving through blowing snow.

Skid Control: If your vehicle starts to skid, turn gently into the skid and ease your foot off the accelerator until you regain control. Use steady pressure if you have anti-lock brakes, or pump conventional brakes gently.

Whiteouts & Closures: Never drive around road-closure barriers. If visibility drops to near zero in a blowing ground blizzard, pull as far off the roadway as safely possible and make your vehicle visible.