DON’T become a Statistic – Drive Winter Safe!
There were 745 lives lost on Colorado roads in 2022 according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the most statewide since 1981. As a carshare member, what can we do to protect ourselves? First and foremost, the number one thing you can do (under any weather conditions), is to PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN and pay attention! Seriously, distracted driving is one of the TOP causes for citations and accidents.
Snow Tires – yes we have them on most cars! Snow tires improve your traction in ice or snow, but they do not keep you from sliding! If conditions are bad, our best advice is to delay your trip when possible. Stick to main roads if you do go out, and slow down! Give yourself more time to brake and accelerate than normal. A few considerations:
- CO Carshare policy says that members can cancel a booking with no cancelation fee, if weather conditions influence the decision to cancel. So don’t chance it!
- It is CO state law to clear snow & ice off of cars prior to driving. This entails removing snow from the roof, truck bed, and external surfaces of the car.
In the event that snow and ice have accumulated on a car, members are responsible for clearing it from the vehicle they’ve booked. Each vehicle is outfitted with a scraper/brush, and or snow shovel. Please follow these recommendations for snow removal:
- Plan extra time to defrost the car before you drive. Start up the car, leave it in park, and make sure the defroster buttons are on. Depending on the situation, it can take between 5 and 15 minutes to fully defrost the vehicle for safe traveling.
- Use the tools! Scrape the windows and windshield along with using the defroster.
- Avoid using the scraper on the vehicle’s paint, as it will remove and scratch the surface.
Happy Snow Day from Colorado CarShare!