‘If this helps one person, I’ll be happy,’ says snow pro sharing driveway shoveling tips and common mistake to avoid
AN INFLUENCER has shared her top tips for driving safely this winter after moving down south.
While drivers who grew up in colder climates often get lots of practice driving in the snow, southerners can freeze on the road when temperatures drop.
One influencer who is well versed in winter driving recently took up residency in Tennessee and has some advice for drivers unaccustomed to cold weather challenges.
“If this can even help one person, I’ll be happy. I’ve been there, done that and this can help prepare you easier,” BoudoirbyNinaRose (@boudoirbyninarose) wrote in a TikTok post earlier this year.
“Tip number one: Always keep up with the snow as it’s falling,” she said in the clip.
Don’t make the common mistake of waiting until the sun comes out to start clearing your driveway — the sun might not come out at all.
“Go out there, shovel it. If you have five inches, shovel it. It’s gonna get even more. It’s gonna lessen your load the next day,” she said.
She shared several more winter pro tips with drivers.
“Tip two: If your car is frozen and you cannot get in either your lock or your handle, hand sanitizer actually melts it pretty quickly,” she shared.
“And if you don’t have hand sanitizer on you, and you have WD-40, that’ll also help you de-lock the locks too,” she added.
Turn on all your heating and defrosting settings the night before a big snowstorm to prepare for the next day, she suggested.
“That way, if you have a remote start, you can start that from your house,” she said.
She also reminded drivers to clean off all of their cars before getting on the road — for everyone’s safety.
“Next tip: If you are clearing off your car, make sure that you clear it all off — not just your windshield, not just the back, not the hood, the top of your car,” she said.
“Grab a broom or anything if you can’t reach it, to just get the tops off, because the car behind you is gonna get all of that back in their face, obstructing their view,” she explained.
And for those scary moments when you might lose control of the car on an icy road, she has a few more words of advice.
“If you find yourself spinning in your car, go and look at the direction that you want to go,” she said.
“Also, in most cases, you do want to turn your wheel in the direction of the skid that you’re going,” she added.
“And don’t pump the brakes. I know the most common thing is you want to slam on those brakes. You will skid even further,” she reminded drivers.
“Let off the gas and just go very slow,” she directed.
And she gave one bonus tip, especially for cat owners.
“If you do need to gain some traction, kitty litter is the way to go. [Put it] underneath your tires,” she said with a smile.