Driving on a snow-covered road can be really difficult. Whenever you plan to drive during snow, the first thing that should be determined is whether driving is necessary or not. The ideal case is that you should avoid driving in snow, given that driving in snow can be full of dangers. But if you have to drive in any case, there are some precautionary measures that should be taken.
Assemble your car for snowy weather. You can winterize your car. Pay regular attention towards maintaining the vehicles battery, tires and tire pressure, belts and hoses, radiator, oil, lights, breaks, exhaust system, wipers and heater/defroster. You can also consider buying snow tires or snow chains. Check on your gas tank. Start driving slowly getting an idea about the road condition in this way you can also test your steering control and braking ability. Make sure that the windows are clean and defrosted.
It’s great to have a winter emergency kit in your car. Following list contains some of the items:
- Ice scraper
- Snow shovel
- Flares
- Flashlight
- Booster cables
- Water
- Blankets
Here are some key elements to safe driving.
Slow Down
This step is pretty obvious while driving on a slippery or a wet road you should lessen your speed. There is not any “safe” speed range at which you can drive in snow. Speed limits depend on conditions, in case you are driving through heavy snow, probably you won’t be able to drive on a fast speed as you would do on a hot summer day. If you must drive in snow, take your time and slowly progress towards the destination.
Increase Following Distance
There should be a safe distance between your car and the vehicle in front of your car. The usual following distance rule of 3 to 4 seconds should become 8 to 10 seconds during winters. It would be easier to stop the car given that you follow these rules.
Use Your Headlights
While driving in the snow, the headlights should be always on. This makes the driving easier for you and the other drivers on-road as well. If you have your headlights on, the vision will be much clear for you and the other drivers. Keep your headlights good and tidy so that you can utilize them better.
Don’t Slam on Your Brakes
Regrettably, skidding and slipping often occur during snowy weather. The moment you find yourself failing to control your car, the instinctive inclination is to brake hard. In fact, slamming on breaks ruins the case for you: your tires lose traction, making it much difficult to get control of the vehicle. Rather than directly hitting the breaks, ease off the accelerator when you sense that the car starts to skid. It allows the car to slow down gradually. If the car had anti-lock brakes (ABS), you should break steadily; if you don’t have ABS, pump the brakes quickly.
Drive with Plenty of Gas
In any case, it’s brainy to have a sufficient amount of gas in the car. During the winters, while driving in snow, you should always keep a check on your gas tank. At least half a tank of gas is suggested. Your gas line would be prevented from getting too cold. You don’t not want to get stuck in the snow. So, avoid any sort of trouble make sure double-check the fuel.
Avoid the Distractions
Make sure to completely focus on driving and also be aware of your surroundings as it can prevent you from unpleasant incidents. Also, keep your phone aside, don’t text and turn off the music.
Conclusions
These tips will come handy when you decide to drive in snow. You can also consider mounting snow tyres into your car if you have not done it already. These tyres come with a deep tread pattern and a lot of groove gaps which disperse snow out of the way and maintain ideal traction on snow and ice. However, even with top quality tyres — you should drive slowly and follow the other tips to drive safely in snow.