Winter Defensive Driving in Snow and Ice
As always, if possible, don’t drive at all and stay inside. It is best to wait until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to make the roads safer. If you decide to go out, budget extra time to get to your destination in a safe manner.
Defensive driving winter driving techniques should be practiced ahead of time. In a snowy, open parking lot, carefully induce a loss of traction so to be familiar with how to handle and how to react to such situations.
Icy roads, snowy roads.
- Lower the speed and leave yourself more space to stop. Make it a 6 second rule instead of a normal condition, 2 second rule. Three times more space is usually needed with low grip situations.
- Brake softly to prevent losing control and start skidding. Release the breaks if the wheels lock up. ABS systems help a lot in these situations.
- Turn on the lights to be more visible to incoming traffic. Use low beam lights.
- Maintain the lights and windshield clean from snow and ice
- Low gears helps in keeping traction, especially on hills. Try not to use cruise control or overdrive.
- Careful on bridges and overpasses. Due to the lack of insulation provided by the ground, these elevated structures tend to freeze much easier.
Should the car start to skid, do the following.
(this will be easier if it is practiced under controlled, safe conditions)
- Remove the foot off the accelerator pedal.
- Steer into the skid. Meaning, turn the wheels in the direction the car is sliding.
- If the vehicle has standard brakes, pump the break pedal gently.
- If the car has anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. ABS systems will feedback to the break pedal and the driver will feel the brakes pulsing — this is normal.
If the vehicle gets stuck…
- Try to spin the wheels as little as possible. The more the tires spin, the more the car can sink. Go easy on the gas pedal.
- Remove as much snow as possible from under or around the tires and pour sand, gravel, cat litter or salt to increase the traction.
- Try rocking the vehicle back and forth by changing gears from reverse to drive. In some cases the rocking motion helps the car getting unstuck.
What to have in the car before taking on the road
- Chains (and practice the installation before you get on the road)
- Flares
- Shovel
- Gloves
- Flashlights
- Boots, gloves and worm clothes
- Phone charger
- Ice scraper
- A basic survival kit which includes: batteries, snacks, first-aid-kit, blanket.
