Wednesday, February 10, 2010

A Winter Wonderland


Paramus Campus of Berkeley – School Closed for today.
Manhattan Campus of Berkeley – Evening Classes after 5PM are Closed.



Have you stepped outside yet?
Or dared to take a peek out your window?


Lucky me, I have been constantly in and out shoveling like crazy. In my town we are up to 15 inches of snow. Claiming a snow fall of 3 inches per hour. If you don’t have to go anywhere, stay off the roads! My back is killing me from throwing the shovel over and dumping the snow. Be careful and take your time! Even if the snow keeps piling up, you must relax and take your time and take breaks!
But! For some reason you must be on the road , I am going to list some things for you – and for future reference as well.



Here are some Safety Tips on Driving in Snow:

1. Get a good grip. Make sure you have the right type of tires on your vehicle! To have adequate snow traction, a tire requires at least 6/32-inch deep tread, according to The Tire Rack.


2. Make sure you can see clearly! Replace windshield wiper blades. Clean the inside of your windows thoroughly as well. Apply a water-shedding material (for example Rain-X) to the outside of all windows, including the mirrors. Make sure your windshield washer system works! Also full of an anti-icing fluid.


3. Run the air-conditioner / Defrosters. In order to remove condensation and frost from the interior of windows, It's fine to set the temperature on "hot."


4. Your Head lights. Using your headlights will not only help you see better of where you are going but let others on the road see you as well. Also before you drive when cleaning off your car make sure to brush off any snow that may be stuck on your lights!


5. Give yourself a brake. Learn how to get maximum efficiency from your brakes before an emergency. Stay hard on the pedal. Steer around the obstacle. (A warning: A little bit of steering goes a very long way in an emergency.


6. BLACK ICE! If the road looks slippery that it most likely is. Go slow and light. Black ice aka Glare ice can look like a dark harmless puddle, don’t let it fool you! Black ice is one of the most dangerous obstacles you encounter during winter roads.


7. Remember Roads. If you are going local or somewhere you know how to get to with out a GPS device or such, try and remember what those roads are like when it is not covered in snow. For example does it curve a lot or does it have a sharp turn. Also if you can think about what it was like last winter as well and if you should avoid it.


8. Do not steer alot. If a slick section in a turn causes your front tires to lose grip, the common — but incorrect — reaction is to continue turning the steering wheel. Sadly, there are situations where nothing will prevent a crash, but turning the steering too much never helps!


9. Avoid those rear-tire slides.. If you buy winter tires, make sure you purchase all 4. Also be sure your rear tires have at least as much tread as your front tires.


10. “Technology offers no miracles”. False sense of security can be given with all-wheel drive and electronic stability options.

11. Relax, Keep Calm. Do not worry yourself and freak out – that never helps a situation.

12. No Distractions. Keep the radio off as much as you can. The less distractions the more you can focus on the roads ahead and getting yourself to your destination!


Regardless of your driving skill, experience or vehicle preparation, there are some winter road and weather conditions that can't be conquered. Don’t be fooled!
Enjoy your day off! (:

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