Our Community Traffic Safety Program is committed to keeping motorists safe by providing a comprehensive guide to winter driving best practices as we approach the potential of winter weather impacting your commute. From snow-covered roads to icy conditions and freezing temperatures, these safety tips are designed to help Bucks County commuters travel with greater confidence, control, and peace of mind.
Winter weather can quickly create hazardous driving conditions, making it essential to prepare both yourself and your vehicle for icy and snowy roads. We urge all commuters to prioritize safety by following these tips for a safe and stress-free winter travel season.
First and foremost, you should have a reliable mechanic check the brakes, battery, hoses and belts on your vehicles. We also recommend packing some kind of winter emergency kit in your vehicle to help you in your preparations. This kit should include items such as a flashlight and batteries, jumper cables, ice scraper, small shovel, gloves, blanket and anything else you may need to accommodate family traveling with you.
Our Community Traffic Safety Program manager Carly Wible emphasizes the importance of 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 and plan to work remotely if possible, so PennDOT and local road crews can treat and clear roads for essential workers like emergency personnel. If you must drive in winter weather, make sure you’re prepared and follow important safety tips to stay safe.”
- 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’s important to remember that not all highways in Bucks County are state-maintained,” explains Wible. “Many are owned and serviced by local boroughs and townships rather than PennDOT. These roads may take longer to be plowed or treated, so we ask drivers to be patient. Bucks County also has many rural, two-lane roads, so please be understanding and allow PennDOT and municipal crews the time they need to safely clear these areas.”
Most municipalities in Bucks County enforce snow emergency policies. It’s important to familiarize yourself with your township or borough’s specific policy ahead of winter storms. Following these guidelines helps ensure roads remain clear and safe for everyone during and after inclement weather.
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.
