Winter Driving

Winter is a beautiful time of the year in Colorado especially when a fresh layer of new snow covers everything. Driving can be a challenging.

The best bad winter weather driving advice is not to drive at all if you can avoid it. Wait until the snow plows and sand trucks have had a chance to do their work. When you do travel, allow extra time to reach your destination.

If you must drive in snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared and that you know how to handle road conditions. Keep these tips in mind when driving in adverse weather conditions.

• Keep your vehicle in good working condition. Make sure the windshield washer fluid is filled, windows are clear of snow and ice, wiper blades work, and your tires have good tread.
• Reduce your speed. Speed limits are set for optimal, dry driving conditions. Stopping and turning are adversely affected by slick or icy roads. Officers can stop and ticket drivers going too fast for roadway conditions, even when driving at or below the posted speed limit.
• Leave extra space between vehicles. The rule of thumb is to leave one car space for every ten miles per hour between vehicles for optimal driving conditions. During adverse driving conditions, significantly increase this distance.
• Brake and accelerate lightly. Fast braking and accelerating can put the vehicle into a slide/skid. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake. Use extra caution in turns.
• Give snow plows plenty of room to operate. Don't pass snow plows and sand trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
• Avoid making last minute decisions.
• Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

Credit Card Fraud

Eight northern Colorado law enforcement agencies are investigating more than 1100 reported cases of credit and debit card frauds that have occurred recently, many the result of a large scale computer hacking operating. Victims have also reported receiving "phishing" type calls or text messages through cellular services attempting to confirm sensitive data. If you find you are a victim, please take the following steps.

• Notify the police: Contact your local police department to file a criminal report and provide specific information on what occurred such as bad checks, credit card abuse, name, etc. Keep a copy of the police report.
• Notify Creditors: If unauthorized charges have been made on your credit card accounts, cancel those cards and request replacement cards with new account numbers. Cancel all unauthorized credit cards and accounts and report fraudulent activity to the credit card issuers and credit reporting agencies.
• Notify Your Bank: Ask them to flag your account and contact you regarding any unusual activity. Close any unauthorized bank accounts.
• Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) Cards: If your ATM card was stolen, contact the issuing institution and request a new card, account number, and password. Be sure to change your old password.
• Report the theft to one of the three major credit reporting agencies: Request that a fraud alert and a victim's statement be placed in your file. Also, request a FREE copy of your credit report to determine if any accounts were opened without your consent and request the agency remove inquiries and/or fraudulent accounts stemming from theft. Since these agencies share information, you need only notify one. Request a credit report or report fraud on-line at: Equifax: www.equifax.com; Experian: www.experian.com; Trans Union: www.transunion.com
• Contact the Social Security Administration: Report unauthorized use of your personal information to SSA Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271.

Teen Drivers & Graduated Drivers Licenses

Their first year behind the wheel is critical. That's why Colorado - and other states across the country - have adopted new Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) laws for teens. Click to find out more about Colorado's latest GDL laws and for more information about teen driving and how to help your teen become a better, safer driver.

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