Winter is here and where I live, in Finland, we have just had our first snow with many drivers on slippery roads on plain summer tires.
I was doing a 60 mile trip yesterday, mostly on smaller rural roads where the snow is not spoiled by salt and heavy traffic, and I though to myself:
There’s really no added danger driving in snow conditions. You just need to have a sound understanding of how the car handles on a slippery surface and adjust your driving style accordingly. The danger is if you apply a summer driving style to winter roads.
Rule #1: Slow Down
Whatever you do you can never reach the same speed on a slippery road as on a dry one. Always plan for lower speeds and longer travel times.
Rule #2: Be Really Soft on The Pedals
To keep your car on the road you need grip. When the tires have grip they roll at the speed you’re travelling and the car will go where you point the front wheels.
On slippery roads if you press the gas pedal hard to accelerate, or if you try to break aggressively your wheels will lock and they lose grip.
With no grip your car will slide straight forward and in the direction the road is slanted, down a ditch.
Accelerate and break like you had an egg under the pedal, really softly, and you’ll have a lot more grip to play with.
Rule #3: Keep Your Distance and Slow Down in Time
One of the most common accidents at winter is to drive into the car in front of you when it’s breaking and you notice too late.
The solution is to always maintain a good distance to the car in front, 100-600 feet depending on your speed and read conditions. Keep the distance big enough that you will be able to stop in case the car in front breaks.
Always slow down when you come to a crossing, even if you don’t see any other cars near. This way if there’s a surprise you will still be able to stop.
Rule #4: Break Safely
If you lose control when breaking it’s usually because you locked the wheels of your car by breaking too much. If you find yourself sliding for a ditch or slowly starting a spin just release the breaks for a second or two to regain control and then continue breaking..
Many times you can avoid an accident or reduce the damage by releasing the breaks and steering clear of the obstacle you are about to hit, maybe hitting a snow wall or some bushes instead. This method do require some practise though as the instinct is to push the break pedal as hard as you can.
If your car is equipped with automatic breaking system (ABS) it’s often better to just break and let the car maintain control. But if it’s really slippery even your ABS might lose control and in that case do as above, stop breaking for a second or two and then when you’re in control try breaking again. Read more about your ABS system in your cars manual.
Rule #5: Accelerate Safely
Basically your car can either steer or accelerate. If the road is dry there is enough grip for both acceleration and steering at the same time, but as the road gets icy you need to choose one.
When you go through a corner, don’t accelerate as you need the grip to stay on the road. If you have to accelerate do it slowly and if you lose grip pull back a little on the accelerator until you regain control of your car.
When accelerating too aggressively a rear wheel drive car will lose grip at the read with the risk of spinning around while a front wheel drive car will lose grip in front and unable to turn it will go straight where it’s heading.
You’re car might have a traction control system (TCS) that will make sure you don’t lose grip while accelerating. You will find more information in your cars manual.
Rule #6: Use Good Snow Tires
If your snow season is longer than a month you would do well getting snow tires. They have a much more stable handling on winter roads and reduces the breaking distance significantly.
Check your local laws and regulations to see if snow tires are mandatory and if you are allowed to use tires with studs.
Rule #7: Practice and Learn
The best way to learn winter driving is to find a safe place where you can practise breaking and sliding! Actually trying out how quickly you can stop your vehicle will prepare you for an emergency and give you the gut feeling on how fast you can safely drive on a snow road.
You can find more tips for safe and fuel efficient driving at the fuel economy tips blog at MilesGallon.com
Tags: driving in the winter, safe winter driving, tips for winter driving, winter driving, winter driving conditions, winter driving safety, winter driving safety tips, winter driving tips
