Winter Driving

Just in case you haven't looked outside in a few days, we are surrounded in snow.  Among the many perils snow can bring, driving in the stuff is the most likely to shorten your life or damage your property.  Here are a few tips to make your winter transportation as safe as possible.

Snow tires are designed to grip the road better in wet, slushy conditions.  Their tread pattern is more open, making room for the snow and slush to be pushed aside and keeping more tread in contact with the road.  Regular all-season radials have a tighter tread pattern, which are more quiet, but have poorer traction in frozen conditions.  If you are regular encountering snow, slush or ice, you need snow tires.  Cars going just 15mph will stop a full car length shorter with snow tires on than those with regular tires when traveling on ice.  At higher speeds this can be much more and may mean the difference between a close call and an accident.
ABS braking systems are standard on nearly all cars these days.  They allow your tires to continue rolling under hard braking, which prevents sliding and maintains steering control. However, if you are using regular tires on snow, ABS is less effective because it relies on resistance feedback, which is gone once you start sliding. 

Defensive driving, while important any time of year, is crucial in wintry conditions.  Following too closely is the #1 cause of accidents in winter.  Also, not reducing speed adequately on hills or before turns will eventually catch up to you.  And then there is the 4-wheel drive myth.  Many SUV drivers think they can drive at higher speeds in snow.  The truth is, if you actually have the 4wd engaged, it will only help you start off on a slick road faster and maybe make it up a hill easier, but helps little on curves and will not help you slow down faster.  In fact, SUVs and trucks are usually much heavier than passenger cars and require much longer braking distances. 


A few more tips

• If you install winter tires, switch all four tires, not just two. Using just 2 winter tires can cause the car to spin unexpectedly because of greater traction on only two wheels.
• For driving in excessive amounts of snow you may need to use chains or studs on your tires. Studs are best suited for soft ice.
• When driving in rough winter conditions, be prepared and bring the following: jumper cables, tire chains, flares, blankets, food, gloves, boots, a flashlight, a cell phone, a first aid kit, an ice scraper, and a towing cable.
• When you first get on the roads, test your brakes and steering.
• Watch out for black ice, as well as extra ice on bridges, overpasses, and intersections.
• Don't use cruise control in the winter.
• Check the weather forecast before driving to prevent getting caught in undesirable conditions.
• Handling a Skid: When your vehicle begins to skid, release the accelerator and gradually steer in the opposite direction that you're skidding. Resist the temptation of using your brakes as this will cause you to skid more. If you overcorrect the skid, you'll end up skidding in the other direction. If this happens, gradually steer back the other way.
• Getting Unstuck: If you feel you can get the vehicle unstuck on your own, first clear snow from around the tires. Then try to get more traction with the use of something like sand, salt, or traction mats. Whatever you use should be spread along the path where you will drive, not just directly around the tires. Now try to slowly drive out. Do not give it too much gas, as all this will do is dig yourself a deeper hole and pack snow in your wheel well. You may want to rock back and forth if you cannot just drive right out. With each rock back and forth drive further and increase your rocking distance. If you still cannot get unstuck, you may require the assistance of a tow-truck or another vehicle with a tow rope.