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How important are windshield defrosters? I had left the ski slopes in Colorado returning to Dallas, Texas with a charter group in a stagecoach. We left two hours early to avoid a predicted snowstorm.

I got to Denver and headed south on I-25 without any problems but, as I approached Pueblo, the snow caught up with me. It was those big baseball-sized flakes. In a matter of minutes, with the temperature below freezing outside, the snow began to freeze on my windshield.

I had the defroster fans going full blast but they were not keeping up. The wipers also began to freeze. They got larger with the accumulated ice and ceased to clear the windshield.

Visibility was next to zero. Eighteen-wheelers were in the median up to their ears in snow. It was not a night to be one the road. I tried at one point to keep up with a snowplow but it was going too fast. I had no idea how they could see. They probably could not see any better than I could and were simply plowing through. I had to stop periodically in the cold to break the ice from the wipers just to travel as slowly as I was. This did enable me to reach clearer weather over Raton Pass though, and we were able to continue.

The windshield surface area on a stagecoach is much different than a tractor windshield. However, your problems in heavy snow and ice can be just as great. Some tips to eliminate the problem I had and keep it from happening to you:

1. Check for proper fluid levels in the radiator during the pre-trip inspection. Low fluid levels can indicate a leak that can cause you a tremendous problem in the middle of nowhere-especially in a snow blizzard.
2. Check the wiper blades for flaws or cuts. Have maintenance correct the problem prior to leaving.
3. Make starting the engine and checking your defroster fans and temperature controls part of your pre-trip inspection. Check for proper airflow to all parts of the windshield.

Bottom line: You cannot see, you cannot go.

Bob Hataway is president of TransAlive USA, an organization of 100,000 volunteers across America dedicated to serving drivers and their families in the transportation industry through their Caring in Action=Safety Program. They cover every zip code in the United States and move quickly to meet the needs of the drivers and their families when they experience an accident, illness, heart attack or even death on the highway. Call 800-USA-HURT for assistance.