With the snowy weather rolling in all across the country this year, I figured I should give a little reminder on safe snow driving and some good things to have in your car regardless of where you live.
This year the winter snow has spared almost no one. From California to Washington, D.C. and from New Hampshire almost all the way to Florida, snow can be found on the streets, on the housetops and on the ground. Even Texas and Arkansas didn’t escape the snow this year. This is why now is a great time to remind people of what they should keep in their cars in case of emergency, especially if you live in a state gets more snow than others.
ALWAYS keep a blanket,extra pair of gloves, or at least some kind of coat in your car. You never know when a storm could hit or you could have car problems. It is important to have something warm in your car so that if one of these things does happen you are prepared and don’t freeze trying to get help. A pair of boots could be suggested as well.
Secondly, make sure you have enough gas in your car to get where you are going. It is not always the best idea to let you car get below 1/4th of a tank during the winter season in case an emergency does arise. If you want, you can even keep an empty gas can in your trunk, which is a good idea anyway in case you do have to run and get some extra gas from the gas station.
Third, if you don’t know how to drive in the snow, either don’t drive or have someone help you. When you are an inexperienced snow driver, you are putting others at risk as well.
Here are a few simple trips to help when driving in the snow. Never slam on the breaks unless absolutely necessary, especially when the roads are icy. Instead you should pump or tap the breaks lightly and early, until you come to a stop, this should help to avoid sliding. Also, don’t overcorrect if you do hit a patch of ice. Sometimes people panic when they hit a patch of ice and go to the right or to the left, usually when they panic they correct by jerking the wheel back towards the road in a quick motion. This usually causes the vehicle to spin and may make the slide worse. Instead, pump your breaks slightly and ease the car back onto the road or lane.
Don’t forget about jumper cables either. Car batteries always seem to have slightly more problems during the winter months. They get cold and sometimes have a harder time starting. Jumper cables are almost a necessity when traveling because you never know when you will need a jump or even when you could help someone else out with a jump.
Check City offers services to keep you from being caught in a winter financial storm. Western Union has partnered with us to bring you a few different services including FREE money orders! These money orders are accepted by most government agencies, businesses and banks, making it easy to save you money and of course, they are free.
Western Union and Check City also offer money transfers. These money transfers are easy, all you have to do it take the money you want loaded onto the money transfer, along with a picture ID and we can deposit the funds directly into the bank account of the recipient or transfer the money to any Western Union agent location around the world. If you
receive a money transfer, you can pick them up at any Check City location as well with a picture I.D.
