Driving Tips with Impending Winter Weather

From: Loudoun Sheriff

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Loudoun County, Virginia- Loudoun Sheriff Steve Simpson is advising motorists to make sure their vehicles are equipped with a well-stocked winter driving kit. "By ensuring their vehicle is properly maintained drivers can keep safe this winter by driving defensively and always buckling up," said Simpson.

A winter driving kit should include the following items:

• Properly fitting tire chains
• Bag of sand or salt (or kitty litter)
• Traction mats
• Snow shovel
• Snow brush
• Ice scraper
• Booster cables
• Warning devices such as flares or emergency lights
• Fuel line de-icer (methanol, also called methyl alcohol or methyl hydrate)
• Extra windshield wiper fluid appropriate for sub-freezing temperatures
• Roll of paper towels
• Flashlight and a portable flashing light (and extra batteries)
• Blanket
• Extra clothing, including hat and wind-proof pants, and warm footwear
• First aid kit
• Snack bars or other "emergency" food and water
• Matches and emergency candles - only use with a window opened to prevent
 build-up of carbon monoxide.
• Road maps.
• "Call Police" or other help signs or brightly colored banners.

The Sheriff's Office recommends not forgetting to pack your wife and kids, too. Should the winter driving kit impair your ability to safely fit all members of your family in your vehicle, leave one or more family members at home. Start with the oldest and most capable, as the Sheriff's Office never recommends leaving young children alone at home.

Finally, the Sheriff's Office reminds citizens that sleeping in one's car is a violation of Ordinance 480.02 (Parking Restrictions). Although your winter driving kit may afford you all the necessities for multiple days of "camping out," such action is inadvisable and illegal. "The purpose of the winter driving kit is not to encourage the enjoyment of driving or family activities," Sheriff Simpson declared.


[Okay, so the last two paragraphs were editorial in nature; although I submit that one could easily infer such sentiments from the actual press release. We're driving to GA on Tuesday night; rest assured we will NOT have kitty litter in the car with us.]