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A beginner's guide to winter driving...Jan 20 '00 Write an essay on this topic.Often, the biggest problem with winter driving is the inexperience of the driver in these situations. Even veteran drivers may have only faced such conditions a handful of times in their life and most of us only see the bad days a few times a year. There are some simple tips which could hopefully save you and your car. DO NOT DRIVE UNLESS YOU HAVE TO. Quite simply, if the roads are bad, don't go out unless you have to. You can't get in an accident if you do not get on the road. DO NOT JAM ON YOUR BRAKES. If you do not have ABS, pump the brakes, do not jam them on, this will cause you to skid and slide. Actually the best thing to do is to not drive in overdrive, but rather drive or '3' as some cars have. This will help you to slow down quicker. In overdrive, the car will not slow down as quick causing you to brake more. If it is really bad, with an automatic transmission, you can shift into and out of the positions from first to drive as you need to. I would recommend driving in 'drive' or '3'. DO NOT BRAKE IN A CURVE. If you have to stop or slow down, do it when you are going straight. There will be less of a chance that you will slide or lose control. DO NOT 'DROP THE HAMMER'. Quite simply, do not over accelerate from a complete stop, you can lose control and you are not giving the tires a chance to grip the road surface. KNOW YOUR CAR'S LIMITATIONS. If you have never driven in the snow with your current vehicle, it might be a good idea to go to an empty parking lot and drive around. See how the car reacts, how the brakes pull, how the tires grip. If you know what it can and can't do, you will be better prepared in the event that something should happen. I took my Jeep out in a lot and practiced skid recovery. It is a good thing to know how to do, and the best way to learn is to practice. 4WD DOES NOT MAKE YOU INVINCIBLE. If all four tires are on ice, you will still slip. Four wheel drive vehicles still should be cautious in approaching icy, winter road conditions. You have a better chance of maintaining control, but you must remember that there are plenty of other cars and drivers that do not have the capabilities you have. CLEAN OFF YOUR WINDOWS AND MIRRORS. Most importantly, be able to see where you are going and the conditions behind you. Just because you are able to stop does not mean that the person behind you can. DRIVE DEFENSIVELY. Be careful and try to anticipate what the other drivers will do. Watch out for ice beneath snow or black ice. If you are not sure what's there, take it slow. Leave earlier than you normally would to get where you have to go. Do not rush. Hopefully we will all drive a bit safer this winter. Most importantly, if it is really bad out, don't go out!  |
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