Heading North for the Holidays? Know These Winter Weather Etiquette Tips

Many Southerners have trouble driving in the winter weather up north. If you’ll be heading north to be with family and friends this holiday season or taking a trip to the mountains, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on a few basics. In addition to driving carefully while it’s snowing or sleeting, you should adhere to the following etiquette rules.

Clearing Snow off Your Car

Always carry a snow brush in your car when you’re north during the winter. Ideally, choose a snow brush that has a built-in ice scraper. If yours doesn’t, you’ll need to purchase a separate ice scraper, as snow brushes cannot remove ice from your windshield. Remove the snow and scrape the ice from all of your windows and the side view mirrors. You should also remove as much snow as possible from your roof. This is because when you start driving, the snow on your roof will fly off and hit the car behind you. This is rude at best and dangerous at worst. 

Parking on the Street

If street parking is the only option available to you, you may need to shovel some snow. There are collapsible snow shovels available that will easily fit in your trunk. It’s considered very rude to “steal” a parking spot that someone else has laboriously shoveled out. Be polite and shovel out your own spot. If the owner of a car near you is elderly and their spot isn’t shoveled out yet, consider lending a hand.

Driving in Winter Weather

Always be extra cautious when driving in winter weather. If the road looks wet, you should assume it could have black ice—especially if it’s a bridge. You’ll need to leave twice as much space as usual between your car and the vehicle ahead of you. This is because you won’t be able to brake as quickly. If the vehicle ahead of you starts fishtailing or doing donuts on the black ice, that extra space will allow you to come to a stop instead of crashing into the other vehicle.

If your car breaks down anywhere in Arizona, you can rely on Barnett’s Towing, LLC to lend a helping hand. Our courteous tow truck drivers can tow any type of vehicle, from passenger cars to big rigs. Give us a call at (800) 722-2302 any time of the day or night.