6 Safety Tips for Moving in Icy Conditions

1) Time your move strategically

Do your best to schedule your move for lower-traffic days of the week. This strategy will help you avoid collisions on snow-covered roads and spend less time traveling back and forth to your moving destination. In general, Mondays are the best days to drive in the United States while Fridays are the worst.

2) Cover your walkways and driveways

Over one million people are injured every year due to slips and falls. During winter months, these injuries increase dramatically. You can help avoid slips and falls by covering your walkways and driveways with ice melt or a snow melt mat. Before applying salt or a snow melt mat, you can use a leaf blower to blow away any top layers of snow.

3) Stock your moving vehicles with an emergency kit

Storing an emergency kit in your vehicle is an excellent safety precaution, especially when winter weather is expected. The typical auto survival kit usually includes a small first aid kit, protective gear, and a small supply of food and water.

4) Check your moving vehicles before leaving

Properly maintaining your moving vehicles is essential to ensuring that you arrive at your destination safely. Before leaving, make sure you have checked your gas, oil, and windshield washer fluid levels to ensure you have plenty of fluids. Additionally, check your tire pressure to make sure your tires are properly inflated. During the winter months, it is a good idea for your tires to be 3-5 PSI higher than usual to account for slower response times.

5) Practice safe winter driving practices

When driving a moving truck on slippery roads, you need to exercise extreme caution. Here are a few tips to help you safely navigate the roads to your new home:

• Reduce your speed: Nearly all vehicle safety organizations cite speed reduction as one of the best ways to avoid accidents.
• Do not tailgate: Increasing the distance between you and the car ahead of you to 8 to 10 seconds will help prevent accidents
• Do not use cruise control: Using cruise control on slippery surfaces may cause your vehicle to lose contact with the road
• Avoid steep hills: Snowy or icy hills can cause moving vehicles to lose traction and slide backward, causing accidents

Of course, if you have hired professional movers to assist you, they will take care of maneuvering the moving van over the snow and icy roads, and you will just need to get yourself and family to your destination safely.

6) Do not attempt to move during a winter weather advisory

A light dusting of snow and isolated patches of ice are one thing. But a winter weather advisory should be taken seriously. If a winter weather warning is issued in your area, do not ignore it. Reschedule your move to another date when weather conditions are expected to improve.

What is the best path to moving safely during icy conditions?

By following the tips above, you can help create safer moving conditions. However, the single best path to a safe move during icy conditions is to seek the expertise of a trusted moving company. The moving professionals with A-1 Freeman Moving Group have helped homeowners and business owners move safely during winter conditions for years. Whether you are preparing for a long-distance move or a local one, we will help ensure you and your possessions arrive safe and sound at your destination. We invite you to contact us today for a free estimate. We look forward to hearing from you!