HELPFUL TIPS

5 Winter Driving Tips

• Drive with your headlights and taillights on when it’s snowing – even if your visibility is good. This will enable other drivers to see you much sooner, preventing unnecessary accidents.
• Brush the snow off your vehicle. No one likes doing it, especially when it’s cold, but snow blowing off the top of your vehicle or out of the box of your truck as you drive can drastically decrease visibility for yourself and those around you.
• Ensure that you have good visibility by replacing your windshield wipers annually and keeping your winter antifreeze topped up. It’s a good idea to keep a spare bottle of antifreeze in your trunk if you do a lot of highway driving.
• Navigating black ice: When you hit a patch of black ice, don’t hammer on your brakes, even though it’s the most natural reaction. Rather, regain traction by easing off the accelerator.
• Increase your following distance and slow down (remember, speed limits are set for ideal weather conditions).

5 Things That Should Be in Your Car Emergency Kit

• A first aid kit with a seat belt cutter
• A wind-up flashlight
• A thermal blanket or two
• A warning light or road flares
• Booster cables

5 Things To Do If You've Been in A Car Accident

• Turn on your four-way flashers/warning lights to alert other vehicles that you are stopped. This will help avoid being involved a second accident.
• Check to see if anyone is hurt. Call 911 for medical assistance. Do not move anyone who is injured on your own!
• Move your vehicle to safety if that is possible (without fleeing the scene). If your vehicle is not drivable, or you are concerned that driving it may cause further damage, call Oil Country Towing immediately, this is our area of expertise.
• Collect (and exchange) information, including:
• Year, make, and model of vehicle
• Full name of driver
• License plate number
• Insurance carrier
• Insurance policy number
• Witnesses phone numbers

Report the accident, both to your insurance company and to the police if necessary. (Note: you only need to file a police report if you deem the damages to be over $2000, or you feel as though you have sustained an injury. These are the guidelines set out by the traffic safety act of Alberta).