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When winter comes, it brings with it all sorts of unpredicted weather phenomena, even here in Arizona. Just last week in neighboring New Mexico, they got an unprecedented winter snow system, leaving many motorists stranded far from home. So what are we to do when unpredicted weather hits? One of the more pressing matters is driving in slushy conditions, so here’s how to best tackle this hazard.

Driving in Slushy Conditions

Stay calm. Whenever driving in less-than-desirable conditions is required, it’s important to remember how crucial keeping your wits can be. Responding to poor weather by panicking can cause your wheels to jerk (or worse), while remaining calm with your eyes forward, feet on the pedal, will help to make sure that you’re ready for anything that might come.
Don’t use cruise control. As you’re certainly aware, cruise control is one of the most convenient additions to automotive life. However, that convenience has no place in a stressful driving situation. When slush hits, you should keep your feet on the pedals, giving you a quicker reaction should you hit any bad stuff.
Read More: How to Handle a Car Accident
Keep a safe following distance. When the slush is on the road, steering and stopping become increasingly difficult. That’s why, more than ever, you should maintain a sizeable distance between you and the car ahead. Remember, they’re in the same situation you are, and they probably don’t know exactly when slush will hit either.
Stay in the more-traveled lanes. With respect to Robert Frost, we’ll take the road more taken, if that’s okay. The lanes that get the most traffic — usually on the right, but not always — are frequently more clear than the others, with less slush on the edges of the road. Additional advice: only change lanes when absolutely necessary.
Read More: A Few Words on Texting and Driving
Plan ahead. Now, this is just good advice for life in general, but takes special precedence on slushy roads. Leave early if you can, and look online for any road conditions that are less than ideal. Also, it’s a good idea to call ahead to any destination to let them know you’ll be running behind; this way, you’ll have less impetus to speed.
We hope that these tips help you to a safe and happy winter travel season, and that you’ll come see us again at Avondale Nissan soon!