Along with the first steady snow layer on the roads, the number of traffic accidents increases. This year is not an exception. During the warm period of the year, many drivers obviously forget that driving on an icy and snowy road considerably differs from driving on dry asphalt. To invite the drivers to drive safely, Director of the Insurance Compensation Department of Insurance Joint Stock Company “BTA Baltic Insurance Company” (hereinafter — BTA), Kārlis Liepiņš, would like to remind the most important winter driving principles.

Choose your driving style

According to statistics, driving in snowfall is the most dangerous due to poor visibility and difficulties with driving on the road. Unless it is not urgent, it is recommended to wait until the snowstorm passes and roads are cleaned. Remote work that we have got used to over the last year and a half can be useful on the days of intense snowing.

Prepare your car for the drive

If you need to go, leave the house earlier than usual. Start the engine, turn on window heating to ensure that ice on the windows would melt during the 5 minutes when it is allowed to warm up your car and clean the snow off the car, including roof, so that snow does not worsen visibility. Clean the ice off of the wiper blades so that you can wash the windscreen when driving.

Drive carefully

On the first winter days until you remember your driving skills it is advised to be extra cautious. Ensure twice as large distance to the car driving in front than usual because the braking distance is longer on the snow or ice. Larger distance will give more time to assess the situation.

Avoid rapid movements

When driving on icy road, steer slowly and brake with the so called pulsing method pressing the brake pedal several times. Rapid steering or panic pressing braking pedal down can cause the car to slide that often ends with sliding off the road and accident. In the cars with manual transmission, you can brake by gradually switching to lower transmission. This method will be useful when you drive down a snowy slope. Operate the accelerator pedal slowly and evenly.

Prevent drifting

If the car slides in the turn or beaten road and you feel that you have lost control over it, do not press the brakes, but steer to the direction to which the rear part of the car has started to more. Slightly press the gas pedal for the car with front-wheel drive. If the speed is not too high or sliding cannot be controlled, it should straighten the car. Release the gas pedal and only steer the car with rear-wheel drive, otherwise the rear wheels will continue to more the car in a wrong direction. You can prevent drifting also with the clutch; when drifting starts, press the clutch and steer to the sliding direction.

About BTA

BTA Baltic Insurance Company is one of the leading insurance companies in the Baltics, offering the broadest range of non-life insurance services in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. BTA employs more than 1,000 employees in the Baltics. The largest shareholder of BTA is Vienna Insurance Group AG with close to 200 years of experience in the insurance business. With about 50 companies in 30 countries and more than 25,000 employees, Vienna Insurance Group is a clear market leader in its Central and Eastern European markets, and takes care of more than 22 million customers. Vienna Insurance Group is the best-rated company of ATX, the leading index of Vienna Stock Exchange (since 1994) with a rating of A+ with stable outlook from Standard & Poor’s; its share is also listed on the Prague Stock Exchange. Vienna Insurance Group works in close partnership with Erste Group – the largest retail bank in CEE.

Additional information:
Elīna Zvejniece
Marketing and Public Relations Department Director
BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS
e-mail elina.zvejniece@bta.lv