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<br />Winter Driving Tips
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<br />Season openers for winter
<br />travel lie just ahead -- for holi-
<br />day and winter recreation trips
<br />.- a situation that has prompt-
<br />ed Anoka's Chief of Police An-
<br />dy Revering to comment,
<br />"This timing makes many
<br />motorists 'open season' for
<br />some of winter's deadliest
<br />tricks." He cited an example:
<br />"A driver finds himself
<br />caught in a wet, sticky snow
<br />'storm in unfamiliar territory.
<br />Words and symbols on road-
<br />side traffic signs are com-
<br />pletely hidden behind a
<br />blanket of clinging snow
<br />ngood reason for drivers to,
<br />know the meaning of traffic
<br />sign shapes."
<br />Chief Revering then sug-
<br />gested that all drivers recheck
<br />their "sign-sense."
<br />· Octagonal (eight-sided)
<br />signs mean only one thing
<br />nstop.
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<br />· An upside down triangle
<br />tells you to yield to other traf-
<br />fic'.
<br />· Diamond signs mean cau-
<br />tion n something ahead to
<br />cause you to slow down.
<br />· A pennant-shaped sign on
<br />the left-hand edge of a two
<br />lane road marks.the beginning
<br />of a,no-passing zone.
<br />· Rectangular signs indi.
<br />cate traffice regulations and
<br />information.
<br />· A round sign and a cross-
<br />buck further ahead mark a rail-
<br />road crossing.
<br />· A pentagonal sign warns
<br />that a school zone or school
<br />crossin'g is ahead n be alert for
<br />children. '
<br />· Shield-shaped signs are
<br />route markers.
<br />He also reviewed other
<br />winter trip suggestions from
<br />the National Safety Council's
<br />Committee on Winter Driving
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<br />Hazards and the International
<br />Association of Chiefs of
<br />Police.
<br />Plan every maneuver well
<br />ahead. Avoid sudden maneuv-
<br />ers in steering or changes in
<br />direction. On turns and lane
<br />changes, don't oversteer on
<br />slick surfaces or you're due for
<br />a spi n-out.
<br />Watch for bridges and over.
<br />passes head. Ice freezes first
<br />and lasts longer on bridges
<br />and in shady spots: '.
<br />If you should hit an unex-
<br />pected ice patch, don't try to
<br />brake, accelerate or steer
<br />sharply. Maintain speed and
<br />let your car "roll" through the
<br />slippery areas.
<br />Anticipate hills ahead. You
<br />need to build up enough
<br />momentum to get to the top
<br />on slippery surfaces. But ease
<br />off at the crest! There may be
<br />stalled cars on the downgrade
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<br />side.
<br />Beware of hydroplaning on
<br />wet pavements. Hydroplaning
<br />is the tendency of a car's tires
<br />to ride up -- to float -- on a layer
<br />of water covering the road. The
<br />tires actually lose contact with
<br />the pavement.
<br />Just when hydroplaning oc-
<br />curs depends on the speed,
<br />the amount of water, the tires
<br />and tire pressures, the weight
<br />of the vehicle, and how the
<br />vehicle is loaded. It usually af-
<br />fects the front wheels. Steer-
<br />ing is lost before the driver
<br />realizes it when he tries to turn
<br />and can't.
<br />The trick is to slow down to
<br />let the tires break through the
<br />water film and grab the pave-
<br />ment once again. Good tire
<br />treads, of course, help consid-
<br />erably.
<br />Go prepared for winter's
<br />
<br />, worst. Before starting out on a
<br />holiday trip, be sure your car's
<br />traction equipment is ade-
<br />quate for the type of weather
<br />that you may encounter. At the
<br />least you should have good
<br />tires with good treads. Better
<br />yet, use snow tires for better
<br />traction in snow. And take
<br />along the tire chains if you
<br />might reasonably expect to en-
<br />counter severe snow and ice
<br />conditions. Tests show that
<br />chains can provide from four
<br />to seven times as much trac-
<br />tion on snow and ice as
<br />regular tires.
<br />"Safe winter trips," Chief
<br />Revering concluded, "require
<br />something extra from the
<br />motorist. Slower speeds, extra
<br />care and common sense will
<br />go a long way toward reducing
<br />the added hazards of the
<br />winter season."
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<br />Winter Safety Tips for Pet Owners
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<br />· With the cold weather material or a self-closing sw-
<br />season upon us, the Com- inging door. The structure
<br />munity Service Unit would like shall be provided with a suffi-
<br />to remind residents that the cient quantity or suitable bed-
<br />State of Minnesota has set ding material consisting' of
<br />minimum shelter standards hay, straw, cedar shavings,
<br />for dogs kept outdoors. Minne- blankets, or the equivalent, to
<br />sota Statute 343.40 Subd. 2 provide insulation and protec-
<br />states: ' tion against cold and damp-
<br />"The shelter shall include a ness and promote rentention
<br />moistureproof and windproof of body heat."
<br />structure of suitable size to ac- · Fresh water must be pro-
<br />commodate the dog and allow vided for outdoor dogs. Snow
<br />retention of body heat. It shall or ice is not an adequate sub-
<br />be made of durable material stitute for fresh water. Com-
<br />with a solid floor raised at munity Service Officers will be
<br />least two inches from the citing residents who fail to
<br />ground and with the entrance provide adequate shelter,
<br />covered by a flexible windproof water, or food for their outdoor
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<br />pets.
<br />· Residents who own dogs
<br />or cats should be extra cau-
<br />tious with automobile anti-
<br />freeze. Anti-freeze mixtures
<br />are usually sweet to the taste
<br />and pets may be tempted to
<br />lap up exposed supplies, lick
<br />up spills, or lick the mixture
<br />off paws if they have walked in
<br />it. Anti-freeze is poisonous
<br />and can cause severe illness
<br />and death if ingested. Keep
<br />containers covered and wipe
<br />up spills as they occur.
<br />· The salt/sand mixture
<br />spread on streets can irritate
<br />the paws of pets that have
<br />walked in it. Clean off paws
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<br />SNOWBIRDS ARE
<br />EXPENSIVE PETS
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<br />If you leave your car on the street. your neighbor suffers with
<br />you. and the cost of snow removal is increased for all. Help us
<br />keep the cost down by providing sufficient off-street parking
<br />for your car this winter>
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<br />VIOLATORS WILL BE
<br />FINED AND TOWED
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<br />with a towel or rag to remove
<br />corrosive salt. Also, snow and
<br />ice can build up between the
<br />toes of dogs causing frostbite.
<br />Periodically check the paws
<br />and remove snow or ice to pre-
<br />vent serious injury,
<br />· Cats like to crawl up into
<br />the engine compartments of
<br />cars and trucks for a quick nap
<br />on a warm motor. Tapping the
<br />
<br />horn once or twice before star-
<br />ting the engine will usually
<br />scare away any "cozy kitties".
<br />· As the snow deepens,
<br />dogs which are kept confined
<br />in. fence yards may be able to
<br />escape if drifts build up
<br />against the fence. Check
<br />along the fence and cut down
<br />drifts as necessary to keep
<br />pets from escaping.
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<br />Prepare Y ourq Car
<br />For Driving
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<br />Reliable transportation is substitute.
<br />especia'lIy important in the · Two empty 3-lb. coffee
<br />winter. If you have a car, make cans with lids. One may be us-
<br />sure it is ready for whatever ed for sanitary facilities, the
<br />winter may bring. The follow. other to burn candles for heat.
<br />ing precautions may help you Use a catalytic heater if avail-
<br />to avoid an unpleasant or dan- able. A catalytic heater relies
<br />gerous situation while travel- on a chemical reaction to pro-
<br />ing: duce heat. (whether using this
<br />· You should keep your car type of emergency heat
<br />in top operating condition all source or your car's own heat-
<br />year round n for safety and fuel er, be sure to leave a window
<br />economy. It is especially im- open for air circulation. Car:
<br />portant to ,winterize your car bon monoxide poisoning can
<br />by checking the following: Ig- happen without the victim be.
<br />nition system, fuel system, ing aware of it until it's too
<br />brakes, battery, exhaust late.)
<br />system, wiper blades, lights, · Matches and candles.
<br />anti.freeze, defroster, tire', · Winter clothing including
<br />tread, proper grade oil, snow wool caps, mittens and over-
<br />tires, cooling system, heater, shoes.
<br />chains. · Large box of facial
<br />· Keep your gasoline tank tissues.
<br />as nearly full as possible. This · Flashlight with extra bat-
<br />will minimize water in the tank teries.
<br />and will provide the maximum · Small sack of sand.
<br />advantage in case of trouble. · One set of tire chains.
<br />· A Citizens Band (CB) · Shovel.
<br />radio can be a very useful item · Food supply (high calorie,
<br />in emergencies. non-perishable food such as
<br />· Carry a winter storm car canned nuts, dried fruit, can-
<br />kit, especially if traveling long dy, etc.)
<br />distances or, in the northern · Tools (pliers, screwdriver,
<br />states, at all times. A winter adjustable wrench).
<br />storm car kit should contain: · Windshield scraper.
<br />· Sleeping bags or two or · Transistor radio with extra
<br />more blankets. A stack of battery.
<br />newspapers can provide layers · Battery booster cables.
<br />of insulation and make a good
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