GOVERNOR BOB MCDONNELL HAS DECLARED THE WEEK DECEMBER 5 TO 11, 2010
AS WINTER PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN VIRGINIA. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICES SERVING VIRGINIA...IN COOPERATION WITH THE VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...WILL SEND PUBLIC INFORMATION
STATEMENTS EACH DAY THROUGH SATURDAY AT APPROXIMATELY 11 AM.
THESE STATEMENTS WILL FOCUS ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WINTER WEATHER 
...AND PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS THE PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER
SEASON.

TODAY'S TOPIC - ARE YOU AND YOUR CAR READY FOR WINTER DRIVING?

WE ALL KNOW HOW HAZARDOUS DRIVING CAN BE DURING WINTER STORMS.
IN FACT...THREE-QUARTERS OF ALL WINTER WEATHER RELATED
DEATHS OCCUR ON THE ROAD...EITHER IN ACCIDENTS OR PEOPLE GETTING
STRANDED. AND...IT CAN TAKE LESS THAN 2 INCHES OF SNOW TO MAKE
DRIVING A LIFE-THREATENING TASK. 

OBVIOUSLY...WHEN THE WEATHER IS BAD AND DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE
POOR...THE BEST BET IS TO STAY AT HOME. HOWEVER...IF YOU MUST
VENTURE OUT...THE FOLLOWING TIPS COULD MAKE FOR A SAFER JOURNEY.

1. MAKE SURE YOUR CAR IS IN GOOD RUNNING CONDITION.
HAVE A MECHANIC CHECK YOUR BATTERY...ANTIFREEZE...WINDSHIELD
WIPERS...IGNITION AND THERMOSTAT. BE SURE YOUR TIRES HAVE
ENOUGH TREAD. REPLACE ANY OF THESE ITEMS IF NECESSARY.

2.LET SOMEONE KNOW YOUR DESTINATION AND WHEN YOU PLAN TO
ARRIVE.
IF POSSIBLE...TRAVEL IN DAYLIGHT...USE MAJOR HIGHWAYS...AND BRING
A COMPANION ALONG.

3. CLEAN SNOW AND ICE OFF ALL PARTS OF YOUR CAR BEFORE YOU
DRIVE.
SNOW AND ICE LEFT ON YOUR CAR CAN AFFECT YOUR VISIBILITY ONCE
YOU START DRIVING. BEFORE STARTING OUT...CLEAN OFF YOUR VEHICLE
...ESPECIALLY WINDOWS...HOOD...ROOF AND LIGHTS.

4.KEEP YOUR GAS TANK AS FULL AS POSSIBLE.
THIS WILL NOT ONLY GIVE YOU ADDED PEACE OF MIND...BUT THE WEIGHT
OF THE GAS WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TRACTION.

5. KEEP THE FOLLOWING BASIC ITEMS IN YOUR CAR: WINDSHIELD
SCRAPER AND BRUSH...BOOSTER CABLES...TOW CHAIN OR ROPE...BAG OF SAND
...BLANKET...FLASHLIGHT...FIRST AID KIT...ROAD MAP...AND SOME
NON-PERISHABLE FOOD.

...IF YOU GET STRANDED ON THE ROAD...

1.STAY IN YOUR CAR.
DO NOT SEEK SHELTER OR A TELEPHONE UNLESS THEY ARE CLOSE BY OR
ALREADY VISIBLE. YOU CAN EASILY BECOME DISORIENTED IN HEAVY
SNOW AND FRIGID TEMPERATURES.

2. PERIODICALLY TURN ON THE CAR ENGINE FOR BRIEF PERIODS.
THIS WILL HELP PROVIDE HEAT INSIDE THE CAR. HOWEVER...TO AVOID
CARBON MONOXIDE GAS BUILDUP...CLEAR THE EXHAUST PIPE OF SNOW
AND LEAVE A DOWNWIND WINDOW SLIGHTLY OPEN FOR VENTILATION.

3. MAKE YOURSELF VISIBLE BY TYING A COLORED CLOTH TO YOUR
ANTENNA OR DOOR...OR BY TURNING ON YOUR DOME LIGHT WHEN RUNNING
THE ENGINE.

4. EXERCISE BY VIGOROUSLY MOVING ARMS AND LEGS TO KEEP BLOOD
CIRCULATING AND TO KEEP WARM. 

THE HIGHWAYS CAN BE THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO BE DURING SEVERE 
WINTER WEATHER. HOWEVER...KNOWING HOW TO COPE WITH THE ELEMENTS
CAN MAKE YOUR WINTER JOURNEYS SAFER. ABOVE ALL...DRIVE CAREFULLY
AND DEFENSIVELY DURING WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.
KEEP PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE
VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU. DO NOT EXCEED THE SPEED YOU CONSIDER
TO BE SAFE...EVEN IF OTHERS ARE PASSING YOU BY.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS CAN BE
OBTAINED ON-LINE THROUGH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT HOME PAGE AT:

WWW.VAEMERGENCY.COM/THREATS/WINTER/INDEX.CFM

IN ADDITION...THE READY VIRGINIA WEB SITE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED 
TO AID VIRGINIANS IN THEIR OVERALL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS:

WWW.READYVIRGINIA.GOV...ENGLISH VERSION/
WWW.LISTOVIRGINIA.GOV...SPANISH VERSION/

UP-TO-DATE WEATHER INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON-LINE FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT: WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BLACKSBURG.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS HOME PAGE IS:
WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/WINTER/INDEX.SHTML