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Winter Driving - Part 1 of 3 - Winter Driving Tips

1/27/2022

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Winter Driving Tips - Part 1 of 3

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o need to knuckle-grip the steering wheel. Severe weather is often frightening and dangerous for travelers. It doesn’t matter if you can drive in the snow, you must be watchful of other drivers. “Winter storms, bad weather and sloppy road conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter, according to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.” All good drivers should know the safety precautions for dealing with winter road emergencies. At Martinsville Pro Towing, we urge drivers like you to be cautious while driving in adverse weather conditions. We’re providing some winter driving tips to refresh your memory about driving in the snow and bad weather conditions.
If you’ve ever been stuck in the snow with no hope of immediate rescue, it can be daunting. However, when you’re prepared, it makes the ordeal much easier to handle, because you know you’ll be safe. Even with the newest cell phone technology and systems that can find your cell phone, you’ll still need to be prepared in case the worst happens to you. In this three-part series, Martinsville Pro Towing recommends the following tips while driving in snowy and icy conditions:

Cold Weather Driving Tips

Cold Weather Driving Tips
  • Pack Your Emergency Winter Kit: Keep a package of cold-weather items in your car or truck.  These things include items, such as extra food (high energy shelf-stable is best in case of an emergency) and water, warm clothing (gloves, hats, scarves, coats, warm boots, etc) flashlight (consider getting a hand-cranked flashlight), extra batteries, a glass scraper, blankets, medications, compact shovel, traction supplies, and more. It’s a good idea to place these items in zipper plastic bags to protect them from moisture. In an emergency the plastic bag may also become handy. Make certain there are enough supplies for all travelers in the vehicle. Remember any supplies you’ll need for your pets if they will be traveling with you. And although it may sound silly, but be sure to pack a roll of toilet paper, wipes and hand sanitizer. No explanation is necessary, right?
  • Check Your Tires: Make certain your tires have plenty of tread and are properly inflated. So how do you know you have enough tire tread? Stick a quarter between the treads of your tires at several places (putting George in upside-down). If you can see the top of George’s hair, it’s about time to change your tires.
  • Full Tank of Fuel: It’s important to keep at least half a tank of fuel in your vehicle all the time. This helps prevent the fuel lines from freezing. It also prevents condensation from forming in the gas tank which can cause difficulty later in starting your car.
  • Carbon Monoxide Danger: For your protection, Never Ever warm up your vehicle in an closed in space, like a garage. Not even for a short time.  The build-up of carbon monoxide can kill you or other occupants in the attached building.
  • No Cruise Control Please: You might like the convenience, however do not use your cruise control when you’re driving on any slippery surface, like on ice and snow. The cruise control can not adapt to the road conditions to keep you safe.
In Part 2 of our series we'll talk about Tips for Driving in the Snow. We hope you find the information in our series on Driving Tips in the Winter useful to you. Stay safe out there on the road. And in the event you find yourself needing a tow truck, give a ring. Tap our phone number and we'll hook you up.
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What to Look for in a Towing & Recovery Company

1/25/2022

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What to Look for in a Towing & Recovery Company

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Simple Things to Look for in a Towing Company
It happens to everyone at some point ... deciding on a towing company is often an emergency situation with almost no time to research who to select:   Who to trust, where to look and how do I know if I've made the right choice? 

Common Roadside Hazards

1920's Car Crash
Towing and recovery companies respond to all types of roadside hazards. Common roadside occurrences include:
  • Vehicle accidents like collisions with other cars or trucks, stationary objects like telephone poles trees guardrails or fences, domestic or wild animals, or unfortunately even pedestrians
  • Vehicle mechanical breakdowns or other assistance (being locked out of the car, running out of gasoline, a flat tire, etc)
  • Single vehicle car or truck crashes or accidents (Running off the road)
  • Load shift (cargo on the roadside)
It doesn’t matter what of the type of accident, or who requested the roadside service, once the towing company arrives on-scene, towing and recovery company is expected to:

Your Tow Company Must Ensure Site Safety

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As always the approaching traffic needs to be warned of the incident. A combination of precautions such as flashing lights, signs, cones, flares, barricades and flaggers should be utilized as necessary to prevent other vehicles from becoming involved. They need to consider the distance to the incident from the on-coming traffic in addition to the overall recovery area. The recovery area must be considered and handled in order to prevent additional vehicles from becoming involved.
Drivers, responders, by-standers, and others must be protected from dangers such as, injury or death from fire, explosion, equipment failure or malfunction. These must be considered and attended to by establishing safe distances for those near the sight of the incident.
In some cases on-scene operators are required by federal law to wear high visibility clothing as prescribed by ANSI 107-2010. It’s always to good idea for the safety of the sight and the operators safety.
Things that should be identified, reported and remediated include property damage at the scene, including, but not limited to fluids on the roadway, damage to grass, trees, shrubs, soil contamination from fluid debris.

Recovery & Remove Vehicles from the Scene

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During the recovery process, vehicles should be recovered and positioned for loading in an appropriate manner for transport away from the accident scene. Sometimes this may require the use of a winch and chains and other hardware (appropriate rigging). The tow truck, winch, and all necessary hardware must be sized properly and in good working order for the task at hand. Attachment to the vehicle should be made to a structurally sound location on the vehicle structure. During winching movement of the vehicle must be anticipated and planned for to prevent damage or injury. Good towing companies are experienced in maneuvering the vehicle safely to the towing apparatus which includes wheel-lifting systems and flatbed tow truck.
Great towing companies are familiar with vehicle manufacturers’ procedures for securing and towing and they follow the recommendations to ensure damage free transport.

Provide Safe Keeping for Vehicles and Property

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Vehicle damage that happens in a crash can lead to other problems later on. For example, damage to a vehicle’s wiring can lead to a fire, hours or even days after the initial crash. Other damage that compromises the interior of the vehicle can leave the vehicle’s interior and or contents exposed to the elements. Thin film wrap (Crash Wrap) can be applied for protection.
Towing companies to look for have the proper tools and training, so they can fulfill their duties without adding to the damage or injuries.

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