Drive safe to get through a long winter

Sick of winter yet? The calendars say we’ve officially been in the season since Dec. 21 and we’re stuck in it until March 20. That’s not that long (on paper) but for many of us this winter has already felt like forever and a day. We’re not just whining though. There’s good reason for feeling like this season has been the worst in a while — because it has. With five winter storms on the record in just as many weeks in the early months of the season, the streets and roads of the Portland area have taken a bruising. The city’s response was lackluster at best. At any rate, it was bad enough for the mayor to apologize to residents for burden of getting around in the nastiest of the snowfall.

Given how things have been, we figured we’d put out a few tips for getting around until gentler weather rolls around. After all, if you can’t keep all four (or however many) wheels on the ground, you can hardly come by to visit us at Scrubby’s.

• Drive slow. This is probably the quickest and easiest thing we can say about driving on snow and ice, or really any impacted roadway. Recognize that high speeds will only complicate your drive and plan your trips to allow for a more a leisurely pace. Take special notice of the speeds at which you accelerate, decelerate and make turns — it’s all too easy to lose traction or control at these times, so take the lead out of your shoes and give it a light touch. Remember that you’ll need more braking time to reach a stop on less-than-clean roadways.
• Be prepared. You should always take this motto to heart, but winter makes it especially important. Keep your gas tank at least half full, throw a small snow shovel and window scraper/brush in your trunk, and think ahead for the scenarios you may encounter behind the wheel.
• Keep an eye on weather reports. When storm clouds are gathering on the horizon, it’s often just not worth it to set out on the open road. Seek out forecasts and take heed of warnings for inclement weather to avoid getting stuck in the worst of it.