For a medical student at the University of Oakland’s William Beaumont School of Medicine who has so far avoided driving through a good old Michigan snowstorm, luck seems to have run out.
A winter storm is expected to affect the area on Wednesday, adding snow, according to the White Lake National Weather Service. This includes an estimated 4-6 inches of snow projected for Pontiac and the surrounding area. Additional build-up is expected over Friday and the weekend.
Expected snowfall follows a dry winter. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, precipitation in Oakland County was 10 inches below normal in December, and a similar pace in January.
But Michigans know it’s only a matter of time before it snows. That’s why OUWB recently invited representatives from Michigan’s auto club group, AAA, to talk about winter driving and auto safety.
“This event is always particularly helpful for out-of-state students, but it’s a good refresher for those of us heading into the winter,” said Katie Thoma, Administrative Coordinator for the Student Affairs Division.
“We drive in icy and snowy conditions many months of the year, so it’s important to be prepared for different scenarios that can happen,” she added.
OUWB medical students like Christian Santiago’s M1 also attended.
“I’m from Florida and I’ve never had the chance to drive in snow before,” he said. “This was a great opportunity to really understand the skills needed to prepare for a trip to Michigan and other parts of the Midwest.”
“A little more serious”
AAA (Auto Club Group, Michigan) Lead Instructor Rachel Wilson conducted the session at OUWB’s O’Dowd Hall.
Wilson said even Michigan’s most hardcore drivers can face challenges in the first big snow event of the year.
“The first time we had a blizzard, we seemed to have forgotten how to drive in it,” she said.
Additionally, drivers unfamiliar with blizzards “may not have a conception of how difficult it is and how it differs from driving in the rain.”
Most of all, I hope everyone takes driving in a blizzard “a little more seriously.”
Wilson went into detail about one of the biggest issues: traction loss.
According to her, the key is to regulate your speed, and the slower you go, the better your traction.
“I’m talking about varying degrees of how slow you have to go,” she said. Hmm, if there’s a lot of snow, you may have to slow down so much that you literally feel like you’re crawling.”
Wilson recommends that drivers unfamiliar with snow exercise caution until they are accustomed to driving in harsh winter weather. One of her ways to do that, she said, is to find a large, open parking lot with no other cars, utility poles, etc., and hit the brakes at a certain speed.
Another tip, she says, is to allow at least seven seconds of stopping distance between your car and the car in front of you. This will give you plenty of room to move around in an emergency.
“You always want to have a plan B,” she said.
Other tips provided by Wilson include:
- Warm up the vehicle in an open space that has been cleared of snow, especially around the exhaust.
- Before moving the vehicle, open all the windows, not just one “hole” where you can see part of the road.
- Clean your car’s hood to prevent snow from blowing toward your windshield, essentially creating a “mini-blizzard.”
- If you start skidding, look in the direction you want to go and steer.
- Practice safe driving practices such as wearing your seatbelt and staying focused.
- Do not over-rely on vehicle technology, such as the rear camera and other sensors that can be covered with dirt, mud, salt, etc.
- Turn on your headlights so other drivers can see you better.
- If you have snow or ice on your windshield wipers, clear them away from the road.
- If you get stuck, remove snow from the tires and spread sand or cat litter near the tires to increase traction.
- Prepare your car for a safe trip (see diagram below).
For more information, please contact OUWB Marketing Writer Andrew Dietderich at [email protected].
To request an interview, please visit OUWB Communications & Marketing. web page.
This work, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
