Vehicle Breakdown And Car Towing Insights For Icy And Hazardous Roadside Conditions

A researcher looking up the topic of "the perfect time for a vehicle to breakdown" is going to be searching in vain. There are no "good times" for a vehicle to break down on the road, only various degrees of horrible. When a car ceases to operate on a frigid day when the roads are icy, the highest levels of horrible have probably been reached. A number of additional and serious safety hazards are now presented. Calling a towing service such as Superior Towing should be done without delay, but a few extra preparatory steps should be taken prior to departure to reduce safety risks while awaiting the tow truck.

• Plan Out an Alternate Route

Getting a weather report is extremely important. Not knowing how icy the roads are or how inclement the weather is until driving for a half an hour can be troubling. Learning about the road conditions is not enough though. Planning out an alternate and safer route may be better. Do this with the possibility of an emergency tow in mind. The shortest distance and the one that avoids a lot of curves and turns reduces the chances of the tow truck—and the towed car—getting into an accident.

• Wear Self-Protective Apparel to Avoid Slipping

Getting out of the car might be unavoidable, and walking on icy surfaces is dangerous. Slipping on the driver's side of the car and being injured and in the path of oncoming traffic would be a horrific situation to be in. Keeping some ice-melting salt in the car may aid in melting the snow in the road around the vehicle. Wearing boots with soles designed with proper traction further reduces slip-and-fall risks. In addition, keeping kneepads and a cyclist's helmet in the car definitely wouldn't hurt. After all, they are designed to prevent injury during a fall.

• Lay Down a Tire Stop

Placing down a tire stopper (aka tire chock) reduces the potential for the vehicle moving, which might occur on an icy road. Vibrations from speeding trucks could set the parked vehicle in motion. Placing salt around the tire will help since putting the stopper on top of ice won't exactly decrease traction. Of course, it is strongly advisable to  wear the aforementioned safety apparel when performing any tasks in icy, hazardous conditions.

Calling for the tow truck as quickly as possible is a must. This way, the car and the driver can be spirited away from a hazardous scene.

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