By Beau Davis

REXBURG—If you’ve lived around Rexburg for long enough, you know that the winters here can be tough for the unprepared. For much of November through March, average daily temperatures typically fluctuate from around 10° F to 30° F (with the occasional dip into the negatives), snowstorms that dump two or more feet of snow are common, and ice can be ubiquitous on our roadways and sidewalks. These attributes undoubtedly make for some gorgeous scenery and fun activities, but with this also comes more frequent car accidents, bursting pipes, an inability to travel, and other bad events that could be avoided or lessened with a little bit of preparedness.     

For many of you, this information will be nothing new. However, for those of us new to our community who come from milder climates, keeping these things in mind will be extremely helpful in preventing costly repairs or serious injury; and, it never hurts to have some friendly reminders.   

Winter Vehicle Maintenance and Driving Tips

Around Rexburg (especially along U.S. Highway 20 from Pocatello to Island Park), there are always at least a few car accidents during every major storm. Don’t let it be you!

1.      Use Good Judgement

Our local city and highway workers do an amazing job at keeping our roads as clear and safe as possible during the winter months. However, they cannot be everywhere at once and there will always be areas and times where the roads are not completely plowed. Because of this, please use good judgment as even short drives in subpar road conditions can be extremely hazardous! In many instances, you are only as safe as the worst driver (or most poorly-maintained vehicle) on the road will allow you to be. If you do decide to drive, always try to have a good idea about how long a snowstorm will last, how severe it will be, and how likely there is to be ice on the roadway you’re choosing (the worst time for ice is a hard freeze at night after a warmer day or two). It’s also a good idea to keep in mind if you’ll be driving on steep inclines or if visibility will be lessened as both conditions can be dangerous. If you feel acutely anxious about driving sometime this upcoming winter after considering these or the following tips, please use good judgement and stay where you are. Most of the time it is not worth risking you or your fellow commuter’s lives.

2.  Winter Vehicle Maintenance

Although there are some moments and storms during the winter months around Rexburg when it pays to be extremely cautious and not travel, most of the time it is safe with proper planning. With that proper planning comes maintaining your vehicle; and perhaps the most important winter vehicle maintenance is having good tires before the snow really starts coming down. Almost any all-season (or winter specific) tires are a good idea and will keep you on the road and unstuck—as long as the tread isn’t worn down. If you’re unsure about the condition of your tires, almost any local mechanic or automotive shop will take a look at them and give you a good recommendation. Tire chains can also be a really good addition to have on you for those really critical times or storms, but they’re mostly a good idea to have for exclusively two-wheel drive vehicles.

Checking on the condition of your brakes is also critical, as having bad brake pads, disks, drums, or brake fluid leaks can be detrimental on icy or snowy roads. Again, most automotive shops or mechanics will be able to tell you the condition of your braking system and give good recommendations. Other helpful vehicle maintenance for those of us who don’t have garages include lifting your wiper blades up from your windshield at night so that they’re not stuck in the morning, having good anti-ice wiper fluid in your vehicle, starting your vehicle with the defrosters on about 20 min earlier than you plan to leave, and making sure to wipe off as much snow as you can from everywhere on your vehicle (especially on top to avoid it falling down in front of you while driving). Having an extendable snow removal tool from almost any automotive section or shop will help a ton with this. It is also unlikely but possible that you may become stuck in your vehicle at some point away from home—so it also pays to make sure your heater and fans work well in your vehicle also.

3.  Winter Driving Tips  

Now that we’ve gotten through maintenance and good judgement, it’s on to good winter driving practices. Like I mentioned before, you can only be as safe on the road in the winter as the worst driver or poorest-maintained vehicle on the road will allow. Because of this, the use of defensive driving tactics like maintaining long distances from other drivers and trying to anticipate what the traffic around you is doing can go a long way toward safe traveling. Perhaps the most important winter driving tip I can impart, however, is the best way to brake on snow or ice. Never brake suddenly if you can help it. Braking suddenly on snow and ice is a great way to lose complete control of your vehicle (as steering will not work) and crash into whatever happens to be in front of you.

If you come to a situation where you have to quickly avoid something in front of your vehicle, most of the time it’s a better idea to drive off of the road into a field or anywhere else free of obstacles. It is not fun and you may get stuck, but it’s a better idea than hitting someone’s car or other hard obstacle if you have to avoid something. During normal winter driving, start braking a good three or four seconds before you normally would—and brake gradually so your tires maintain friction on the road as you come to a stop. Going along with this and using good judgement, the Idaho Transportation Department has implored drivers for years to only go as fast as conditions allow. This means that normal speed limits may be too fast for the road conditions—and a good rule of thumb is to go 10 or 20 mph slower on icy, snowy roads. When in doubt, follow the flow of traffic around you if there is any.

Winter Maintenance around the Home

Preventing bursting pipes and hazardous sidewalks and walkways are always good ideas.

1.  Pipe Maintenance

For those of us who rent, many landlords and property managements have already spread the word about this since our first snowstorm this past week, but it is worth a reminder. Any and all water pipes can freeze and burst in the winter without some planning beforehand. Remove all outside hoses and make sure the water to those connections is turned off—you may even want to look at insulating the outside connections themselves with expanding foam or other products more if it looks like previous attempts are breaking off or melting, etc. Otherwise, you run the risk of it bursting and flooding the inside where it connects. Same goes for water pipes inside your home as well. If you’re planning to be gone for an extended period of time this winter, make sure you keep your home or apartment heated to at least 50° F regardless of the cost. It is also a good idea to drip lukewarm water from both handles in your sinks to keep water flowing through the pipes (even when you’re home if the temperature is cold enough). The last thing you want to come back home to is a flood or an ice rink in the kitchen.

2.  Sidewalk and Driveway Maintenance

Even for those of us who rent and have crews that do winter maintenance on sidewalks, parking lots, and porches, it’s a good idea to be proactive in regard to cumulating snow and ice. Just like the city and highway workers, property management crews and others can’t do everything at once. Because of this (and especially for those of us who don’t have crews to do this work for us), it is extremely important to have a good supply of ice melt, shovels, or snowblowers handy. Being proactive with these tools towards the beginning of storms around your property will prevent snow and ice from accumulating and becoming worse with each passing night or storm. Depending on where you live, you may even be legally required to keep sidewalks and walkways safe for pedestrians. However, it is also important to keep our furry friends in mind in regard to ice melt. If you or your neighbors have pets that frequent the areas around your home, please keep them happy and healthy by using pet-safe ice melt. Normal ice melt can scrape, rub, and get inside pets’ paws which can then bleed and become very uncomfortable and painful. Following this, if you also have pets or small children that frequent the areas around your home, keep in mind that falling icicles can also be danger.

Winters in this part of the country and the state of Idaho can be beautiful, serene, and provide the perfect environment for family activities and fun. However, it is up to all of us to try and provide as much safety and happiness as possible for everyone in our community.  

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