Winter is almost officially here in the U.S. and that means snow-covered roads and icy conditions. Today’s blog post looks at common winter driving mistakes your company’s drivers need to avoid.

Weather.com has a list of 14 mistakes all drivers need to avoid, including:

• Skipping the routine maintenance. When the temperatures are ready to drop, change your wiper fluid from a 50/50 mixture of wiper fluid and water to all fluid (and carry an extra bottle of fluid in your vehicle). Add Anti-Freeze to Your Radiator and don’t skip your regularly scheduled oil and filter change
• Not testing your vehicle. Checking your battery, headlights and taillights and replacing windshield wiper blades should be part of your winter prep for personal and company vehicles.
• Not keep a winter driving kit in your vehicle. Shovels, blankets, flashlights, emergency snacks – they can be lifesavers.
• Not focusing on your winter driving skills. There’s a good chance your drivers are driving too fast, too Close to Other Cars and may need to brush up on their ice-handling skills.

Big rigs hauling heavy loads require even more winter driving skill. Fueloyal.com offers 15 tips for truckers, including:

• Don’t get complacent or overly confident
• Accelerate and brake more slowly
• Clear your windshield, mirrors and lights
• Always keep your tanks as full as possible
• Never drive tired, especially in bad weather

For more winter weather safety tips, see our HSI blog posts:

Prepare Your Workers for Winter Driving

Preparing to Weather Those Winter Storms Safely

Need to train your team on winter driving skills? Summit Training Source offers a suite of driving courses, including winter driving safety, to help your team meet their DOT requirements. Click the button below and navigate to Course Catalog to browse our library of courses.