Safety Tips For Driving In Snow

The wait for snow may have been longer than many had wanted, but it finally came.  And though snow is beautiful to look at, fun to play in, and a regular part of living here in Illinois, there are also some dangers that come with driving in it. Therefore, I thought I would give a quick recap of how to drive safely in snow:

1) Cleaning:  Driving safely in snow has to do a lot with seeing and being seen by other vehicles.  So before starting out, always clear snow and ice from your vehicle's windows and lights.  This will increase your visibility, as well as help others see you.  Clear off the brake lights also.

2) Lights:  In rain, snow, or sleet, do not overdrive your headlights. Stay within the limits of your vision.  Low beams work better than high beams during snowy or foggy conditions.  Illinois law actually requires that your headlights be on if you are using your wipers due to inclement weather. So whether it's raining, sleeting, or snowing, drive with your lights on in order to be more visible to everybody around you.

3) Road Conditions: Road conditions may vary depending on the sun, shade, wind, or roadway surface. Watch for slick spots, especially on and under bridges, on overpasses, and in shady spots. Be prepared to react physically and mentally.

4) Acceleration:  When starting off, accelerate slowly so that the wheels do not spin.  Slowly applying the gas to accelerate is the best way to regain traction and avoid skidding.

5) Traction: If your vehicle has 4x4 or AWD, turn it on, for it helps keep traction and control when driving on snow and/or ice.  Same goes with Traction Control.  

6) AWD/4x4:  I have seen a lot more SUVs and trucks than cars wiped out on the sides of the roads during heavy snow storms lately, possibly due to the misunderstanding of such vehicles and options.  Understand that AWD and 4x4 are helpful when catching the initial traction and when plowing straight through tall snow, but when it comes to turning or braking, they're basically just a taller, heavier car...in other words, they do nothing to help you stop.  I’ll say it again: 4x4 and AWD do NOT help in breaking on snow and ice.  So flying down the road just makes you a stray bullet.  And this takes us to #7:

7) Braking: Anti-lock brakes DO NOT work on ice!  (I know this from experience).  ABS works by causing the brake pads to pulsate around the disk until the wheels come to a stop.  This is great on dry ground, for it prevents the brakes from over-heating and locking up, thus skidding into the car in front, or losing control.  But notice what I said..."they pulsate until the wheels come to a stop".  When you're braking on ice, the wheels will stop, but you're still sliding.  That's because many ABS systems work according to the spinning of the wheels, not the motion of the vehicle.  Therefore, if you find yourself sliding on ice, pump the brakes, (as we were taught before ABS were common).  Doing this will give the tires a chance to grab traction, bringing you to a safer stop (or slowing you down for impact), which brings us to #8.

8) Speed and Distance:  To drive safely in snow, increase your distance from the vehicle in front of you.  The normal, dry pavement following distance of 2-3 seconds should be doubled to tripled in length.  Also, the posted speed limits are for ideal, dry conditions.  So during snowy weather, it's normal to feel like you're Driving Miss Daisy, if that's what it takes to get to your destination safely.  In fact, Illinois law requires motorists to slow down if a special hazard exists due to weather or road conditions.

Also, back to braking safely, give yourself enough room to brake slowly.  I also find it helpful to keep notice of brake lights of the cars 1-2 positions ahead, sort of as an early warning to what the car in front of me is about to do.  Remember, you can hit a patch of ice at ANY time, and you won't know it until it's too late, so that safe distance is important.

9) Turning:  When turning on a snow-covered road, turn the steering wheel SLOWLY, feeling the terrain.  This will help you keep traction, also with keeping you in your lane.  If you turn too fast, or as you do on dry pavement, you risk spinning out or sliding into oncoming traffic.

10) Skidding:  If for any reason your vehicle begins to slide or spin out of control, don't turn with the turn, but in the direction in which you want to go.  So say you're driving straight, and you hit a snow patch that causes your back end to swing up front (say up the left side).  Take your foot off both pedals and turn your wheels to the left. If you turn your wheels to the right, you'll be like a dog chasing his tail...spinning around in circles until you're dizzy or until you hit or fall into something.  So instead, turn the wheels in the direction of the end of your car that's coming up front.  Continue to do this with each side as needed, until your car is once again straight on the road. Then refer back to numbers 

Driving safely in snow has to do a lot with patience and adapting.  As many have learned, hitting a patch of ice will quickly kill the ego of one who considers himself a "safe driver".  Don't be surprised if while applying these precautions, you realize that everything your parents told you about driving safely, which you blew off all this time, actually makes sense now..  That's alright because, chances are, they were probably informing you out of experience of their own past mistakes and close calls.

Good luck and safe driving this winter season!