Safety Tips for Winter Bus Driving

Driving any type of vehicle in winter can be treacherous. Snow, ice, and even rain can present road hazards that are visible as well as unseen and especially scary hazards. What looks like a shallow puddle may turn out to be something too deep to drive through. Black ice on the road is essentially invisible, but will cause your vehicle to careen out of control. So how can you make it through the winter while driving a bus? And are there special precautions a bus driver should take in winter in order to avoid a catastrophe?

Slowing Down

Anyone who drives a bus is under a lot of pressure to get to places on schedule or in a certain amount of time. The result is that many bus drivers are used to having a bit of a lead foot. Even if they don’t break speed limits, it’s natural to always be right at the limit in order to get where you need to go in as little time as possible. In winter, the best thing you can do is slow down. Nothing is important enough for you to risk losing control of the bus because you were in a hurry.

Regular Maintenance

In addition, you should make sure that your bus is maintained well and regularly. Topping up any fluids, especially defrosting windshield wiper fluid and the anti-freeze for the engine is even more important than usual. Make sure your brakes are working properly, too, since they’ll be critical to keeping you safe.

Watch Out for the Other Guy

Keep your distance, since it’ll take much longer to stop in wet conditions. Take your time, double check before you cross each intersection, and watch out for people who are still driving like it’s sunny and clear out.