Winter Driving Tips for Seniors
Senior Care in Chappaqua NY
Snow and ice can pose difficult driving conditions, especially for seniors. But with proper precautions and preventative measures, they can stay safe in the winter weather. Of course the best idea
is when the weather is at its worst, stay home!
1. Make sure their car is made to be winter ready. This means they’ve had the car serviced, have an emergency kit ready, and have put snow tires on before the first snow falls. And be sure they keep a full tank of gas in the car in case there is traffic or it takes longer than anticipated because of road conditions. And throw a brightly colored scarf in the glove box.
2. For seniors parking in an indoor garage, while it may be tempting to run the car to let it “warm up” inside the garage, doing so poses a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. So even if it’s a little colder to get it going and move outside, it is important not to run it for long in the garage.
3. Encourage your seniors to plan their errands and driving times to try to avoid most major snow and ice events.
4. If your senior parks outside, they need to actually brush the snow and scrape the ice off the car, including wiping off headlights. It’s fine to run the car outside to warm it up, as long as the exhaust area is clear of snow and debris to prevent the fumes from getting back inside the car.
5. Encourage seniors driving in the snow to leave plenty of extra time for travel in case of bad weather. And to travel with their headlights on anytime the weather is bad.
6. Make sure they understand they need to leave lots of extra stopping room because in snowy and icy conditions, it can take much longer distance and time for the vehicle to stop completely.
7. If they are headed out in challenging conditions, they should be sure to let someone know they will be out driving and report in when they arrive safely.
8. In the event that they lose control of the car, and end up snowbound, they should first of all call for help. Then, they should have that brightly colored scarf hang outside the window. As long as the engine can run and is not smoking, they can run the car for up to 10 minutes at a time per hour. But they should check to make sure the exhaust area is clear.
If you or an aging loved one are looking for senior care in Chappaqua, NY, call the friendly staff at The Perfect Home Care at (855) 855-5728. Call today!
- How Can You Tell When Your Elderly Loved One Really Can’t Live on Her Own Any Longer? - May 12, 2017
- Four Age-related Vision Problems in Seniors - April 14, 2017
- 5 Things to Know About Occupational Therapy - April 7, 2017
