Winter Driving Safety Tips and Winter Driving Equipment

Make sure your vehicles and team are ready for a brutal winter.

Snowy and icy roads represent a constant danger—especially for field service technicians who must brave the elements every day to do their jobs. You can only control so much of what happens on the road; everything else comes down to preparation. By making sure you have some essentials on hand, you can stay safe and still provide outstanding service to your customers.  

Your Winter Driving Safety Kit

Every driver should have an emergency kit in their vehicle. You never know where the next job will take you, and if you work in the HVAC or plumbing trades, you’re needed in the winter more than ever!

Since you’ll be on the road, you’ll need to pack your winter driving safety kit. No amount of safe driving can prevent black ice, or another, less-aware driver from causing an accident. If that happens, you’ll be glad you had your kit.

So, what goes into a winter driving safety kit? Here are the basics:

First Aid Kit

No vehicle is road-ready without a first aid kit. When an accident happens, first aid can save lives. When stocking your first aid kit, remember to include:

• Field dressings (bandages, gauze tape)
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antiseptic cream or wipes
• Pain relievers
• Saline solution

These items should get you started. You can pack plenty of additional items in a first aid kit, but these basics will help you minimize damage from common injuries after an accident while you wait for help to arrive.

Road Safety Gear

Driving in the winter opens you to two major risks: low visibility and poor traction. Your winter driving safety gear should include tools to mitigate these risks:

Road Flares and Reflectors – After an accident, the risk of a follow-up accident becomes much higher than you may think. Increasing visibility, especially at night or during snowstorms, can help you avoid pile-ups and generally keep you safer on the road.

Tire Chains – Every state has different laws regarding tire chains, so make sure you know yours. Having them handy and knowing how to put them on your tires can give you the traction you need when the roads go from bad to worse.

Survival Kit

In the most severe weather, it may take emergency services hours to reach your location. Winter driving safety means staying prepared for any situation. Accordingly, your kit should include some survival items to meet your basic needs:

Winter/Survival Blankets – Packing one or more blankets designed for emergency kits can make sitting in your truck or cargo van a lot more comfortable. Specialized survival blankets are packed tight to minimize their space, but can help insulate you against the cold.

Food and Water – Some emergency situations could have you in your vehicle for longer than you ever planned. Access to clean water can help keep you alert and healthy when you’re stuck, and food can help keep your energy up. Look for calorie-dense, non-perishable foods.

Winter Readiness Starts with Vehicle Maintenance

A poorly-maintained vehicle is hardly road-worthy, let alone ready to drive across icy highways and snow-covered backroads. Before you head to work, make sure you’ve handled these critical winter maintenance steps:

Check Your Tires – You can avoid many winter accidents by having reliable tires on the road. Check your tires before every trip, and make sure to replace them if they become too bald to offer safe traction on winter roads.

Watch Your Fluids – Maximizing your visibility is critical to avoiding accidents and knowing how to traverse the road ahead. Never let your wiper fluid run out, and consider having an extra container on-hand.

Keep Your Maintenance Schedule – Everything from oil changes to tune-ups will help your vehicle operate optimally. A well-maintained vehicle will be more responsive and less prone to breakdowns during the brutal winter months.

Now that you have your work vehicle prepped and packed for poor conditions and a potential survival situation, how can your field service software help you provide service in inclement weather? Smart Service gives you the ability to send your customers text messages when en route to a job. Letting your customers know that you are on the way, and allowing them to reach out to the office if they are unable to keep the appointment can keep you from making an unnecessary trip in bad weather.  

You can also use Smart Service to review your jobs for the day and make sure you have all of the parts and equipment you may need, preventing an extra trip to the hardware store. Even if you don’t need them, you can always return relevant items to inventory for later use. 

Making sure your service vehicle stays well maintained, stocked with the supplies and items you may need in an emergency, and utilizing the tools within Smart Service can help you negotiate your service calls in bad weather. Your customers can rest assured that you will deliver the service they need, and your company and family can trust that you can provide that service in a safe manner. Stay warm, stay safe, and remember that better weather is just around the corner.