According to the Federal Highway Administration, about 70% of roads in the US are in snow, which increases the risk of accidents significantly.
Last photo unsplash.com/ Wesley Tingy
About 35% of Americans identify an ice cleaner as the most important tool to have in your car during the winter, according to a 2021 survey by The Zebra. This is followed by mittens or mitts, which rank as the second most important item (28%), and sand or kitten sand, which ranks third (25%).
Other safety items that respondents believe should keep in their winter driving kit include flashlights (25%), traction mats (15%), and disposable cell phones (twelfth%).
Nearly 2,000 people die and more than 135,000 are injured each year in car crashes on icy and snowy roads. With that in mind, The Zebra began assessing how prepared drivers were for winter driving.
Survey respondents certainly seem familiar with winter driving conditions, with nearly 76% saying they’ve driven through black ice.
Surprisingly, the West as the geographic region is said to have the most experience, with nearly 83% noting that they have encountered black ice while behind the wheel. However, only 68% of respondents from the South experienced black ice at least once in their lives.
Although most respondents have encountered black ice, an alarming 58% of respondents admitted to never using snow tires in the winter.
On the plus side, The Zebra conducted a similar survey in 2020 and found that most Americans are aware of proper safety procedures while driving in the winter. For example, 93% of people correctly determined that you shouldn’t use cruise control or traction control on icy roads.
Furthermore, 96% of respondents correctly determined that if you start skidding on icy roads, the driver should never slam on the brake pedal to regain control of the vehicle.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, about 70% of roads in the US are in snow, which increases the risk of accidents significantly.
