Winter Driving Tips Offered By Bucks Co. Transportation Agency

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — With winter bringing the challenges of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, Bensalem-based TMA Bucks is offering a comprehensive set of winter driving safety tips for commuters.

"Winter weather can create hazardous driving conditions with little warning, so it’s essential to prepare yourself and your vehicle for icy and snowy conditions," said David Walter, TMA Bucks' deputy director. "We encourage all commuters to make safety their top priority by following these tips for a secure and stress-free winter travel season."

TMA Bucks first suggests that a mechanic should check the brakes, batteries, hoses, and belts on your vehicles to make sure they are safe for travel.

TMA Bucks also recommends packing a winter emergency kit to keep in vehicles.

The kit should include items such as a flashlight and batteries, jumper cables, an ice scraper, a small shovel, gloves, blanket, and anything else needed to accommodate family traveling as well.

TMA Bucks Community Traffic Safety Program manager Carly Wible stressed making smart decisions during bad weather.

"If snow or ice is in the forecast and you don’t have to be on the road, stay home. Work remotely if possible, so PennDOT and local road crews can treat and clear roads for essential workers like first responders and emergency personnel. If you must drive in winter weather, make sure you’re prepared and follow important safety tips to stay safe,” Wible said.

Walter said that most municipalities enforce snow emergency policies.

These are some guidelines drivers should follow for the winter:

• Remove all ice and snow from windows, mirrors, and all vehicle lights before you drive and as often as needed.
• Remove snow and ice from the hood and roof of your vehicle. State law states that if snow or ice from your vehicle strikes a vehicle or person and causes death or injury, you can be ticketed.
• Slow down and increase following distance.
• Avoid sudden stops and starts.
• Beware of roads that may look wet, but are actually frozen, often referred to as “black ice.”
• Use extra caution on bridges and ramps, where ice can often form without warning.
• Do not use cruise control while driving on snow-covered roads.
• State law requires you to turn on your headlights when your wipers are on.
• Use your low beams in particularly bad weather, especially in cases of heavy or blowing snow.
• Do not pass or get between trucks plowing in a plow line (several trucks plowing side by side).

"It is important to remember not all highways in Bucks County are state highways and several are municipally-owned and are treated and plowed by the borough or township and not PennDOT,” Wible said. “You need to keep in mind it might take them a bit longer to get these roads cleared so please be patient. Bucks County also has several rural, two-lane highways, so please be understanding of this and allow PennDOT or municipal crews the necessary time to reach these roads.”

While PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

If your school, daycare, or organization in Bucks County would like to schedule free programming on highway safety topics please contact our program manager Carly Wible at carly@bcmta.com or 267-895-5186.