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This
winter, if you're stranded by the roadside, help isn't
far away — even though the tow truck or highway patrol
may not be in sight. According to the Michelin Winter
Driving Survey, 82 percent of American drivers would
assist a stranded motorist, and 64 percent of American
drivers have been helped by a stranger while stranded
on the side of the road.
"Winter driving can be extremely perilous and can
lead to skidding on black ice, getting stuck in a snow
bank or having weather-related accidents," said
Normand Latremouille, winter segment marketing manager
for Michelin. "We hope the survey alerts motorists
to the importance of avoiding winter accidents by installing
four winter tires to dramatically improve their car's
braking, handling and acceleration in wintry conditions."
Drivers who contend with snow and ice for a majority
of the winter are 30 percent more likely to have skidded
on black ice, 35 percent more likely to have been stuck
in a snow bank and 7 percent more likely to have had
an accident due to weather conditions than those who
rarely have harsh winter weather. Experienced winter
drivers are also 7percent more likely to say that winter
tires make them feel safer than four-wheel-drive systems
or anti-lock brakes when it comes to driving in the
snowy months.
The survey also showed that damsels are not usually
the ones in distress. Men are more likely than women
to suffer from winter-time car trouble. Not only are
men 7 percent more likely to suffer a general accident
due to winter weather, but they are also 13 percent
more likely to have hit a snow bank and 10 percent more
likely to have skidded on black ice. According to the
survey however, men are 24 percent more likely to stop
and help a stranded motorist than women.
Three out of four Americans who spend most or all of
the winter driving in slippery conditions have helped
a motorist stranded at the side of the road and stayed
with them until the problem was solved, despite the
harsh conditions outside. The survey also showed that
southerners were the coldest of heart, being twice as
likely to drive past a stranded motorist — without so
much as calling for help.
About Michelin
The world's largest tire maker, Michelin (www.michelinman.com)
manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle,
including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers,
farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the
space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides,
maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North
America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin
North America employs more than 23,000 and operates
20 plants in 16 locations.
(Source: Michelin)
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