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Don't go in Snow!Jan 12 '00 Write an essay on this topic.The absolute best advice you can get about driving in snowy or icy conditions is : DON’T DO IT! But, if you must, then here’s my advice based on over thirty years of driving through snow, slush, ice and mud in the Great Lakes snow belt: --STOPPING is more important than going! You are going to have severe consequences perhaps resulting in injury or death, if you can not stop your vehicle safely. Slow down, gear down, and lightly tap and pump non-ABS brakes to come to a safe stop on packed snow and ice. If you do start to skid, always steer in the direction of the skid, but don’t over correct or you’ll be doing wing-dings. I strongly suggest that you go to a large abandoned icy parking lot and practice emergency stops and to become familiar with how your vehicle reacts in a skid. It’s much better to learn it here than on the highway or streets. Something else you can practice at the parking lot, is the use of the emergency/parking brake to get you out of a skid. This is a trick many old timers swear by since the emergency brake only applies braking to the rear wheels and when applied in a skid allows the front wheels to be steered. This method would apply mostly to vehicles without anti-lock brakes though. Hopefully you will never have to do this in real world conditions, and it’s certainly not recommended as a normal procedure, but it is another method of stopping/braking that may be of use in an emergency situation. Also, when diving in slippery conditions, be sure to maintain more distance than normal between you and the car ahead and allow more distance for stops and turns. --GOING (traction) is the thing most people consider when addressing this issue. Snow tires are good, studded snow tires are better and chains are the best for winter traction. Added weight in the trunk of rear wheel drive cars and in the bed of a pick up truck can also dramatically improve traction. I like to use filled sandbags for ballast. They are heavy and the loose sand can be used as a traction booster if you get stuck. Just remember that just because you can go good on slippery surfaces, that doesn’t mean you can stop. I learned that the hard way in a 71 VW Super Beetle with studded tires. Boy would that thing go on ice and snow, but I ended up having to stop it one time by running against the guard rails, when I had a panic stop on an ice covered road! --EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT is the other thing I think should be considered. If I’m out in a blizzard, the number one thing I want with me is a cell phone! With it, I can summon help for myself or others if needed. More than one wintry traveler owes their life to their mobile phone! Other recommended items would include warm clothing (coat, hat, gloves and boots), a blanket, a shovel, some traction material such as kitty litter or sand, an ice scraper/snow brush, and maybe a few granola bars and a thermos of hot tea or coffee. I also suggest using the deicing windshield washing solution and carrying a can (a small one that can fit in your coat pocket or purse) of deicer spray for frozen windows, doors and locks. You should also make sure your brakes, tires, exhaust, wipers and anti-freeze are good; and have a full tank of fuel. A towel to get fog off the windshield and to dry your hands, if they should get wet, is another useful item. Those are my recommendations for winter driving, but please consider the original advice, and only travel if absolutely necessary when the roads are bad.  |
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