Rules for safe driving in winter: advice from experienced motorists

About 46% of weather-related accidents in the United States occur during the winter months. It's always a good idea to brush up on your knowledge of driving in snowy and icy conditions. Lohud tells you what you need to know about driving in winter.

To avoid getting hurt during driving In winter, use simple tips.

What to do on the road in winter weather

Accelerate and brake slowly

To regain traction and avoid skidding, slowly press the gas pedal to accelerate. Braking takes longer on icy roads.

Increase the distance

Since the normal distance between vehicles on dry pavement is 3-4 seconds, you should increase it to 8-10 seconds in winter weather. This will create a greater distance for an emergency stop.

Know your brakes

The best way to stop is step braking. The driver presses the brake pedal and immediately releases it. This type of braking is used to prevent the car's drive wheels from locking. This method significantly reduces the braking distance. This way, you can control the direction of the car with the steering wheel at the moment when the brake pedal is released.

Stay home if possible

Unless you really need to drive in poor winter road conditions, don't.

Avoid driving in poor visibility conditions

If you have to lead the car In poor visibility conditions, drive at low speed, turn on low beam headlights and pull over to a safe place if conditions worsen.

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What Not to Do When Driving in Winter Weather

Avoid dangerous driving practices to ensure safety.

Don't step on the gas on hills

Using extra gas on snowy roads can simply cause your wheels to spin. Instead, try to build up some momentum before you start driving up the hill to get to the top. Then slow down once you reach the top of the hill and continue down as slowly as possible.

Don't speed

The tires' grip on the road is significantly reduced in rainy, snowy and icy weather.

You should slow down to regain traction.

Do not brake and turn at the same time.

Brake first, then turn, and only then accelerate. Don't slam on the brakes. This can increase the chance of skidding. Make sure you're also careful with your steering and acceleration.

Do not drive close to other vehicles.

Your car cannot slow down quickly on slippery roads. It is important to increase the distance to at least 5-6 seconds. Leave free space on at least one side of your car in case you need to make an emergency lane change maneuver.

Important things in the car in winter

If you find yourself stuck in your car during winter weather, it's a good idea to have the following supplies on hand:

• snow blower, snow scraper and broom;
• warning devices such as flares or distress markers;
• connecting cables and rope;
• flashlight and portable radio;
• blankets and extra warm clothing;
• an abrasive material, such as sand or cat litter. This will help if your car gets stuck in the snow;
• phone with charger;
• water, food and necessary medicines.

What to do if you are stuck in the snow

Don't step on the gas and don't panic

As soon as you feel that the car is starting to get stuck, stop pressing the gas to the floor and calm down. If you can’t move forward, try moving backwards to get out on your own track.

Move off smoothly, without sudden acceleration. Do not accelerate hard or for long. Otherwise, the wheels will quickly get stuck and the car will sit on its belly.

Try pushing

Ask passengers or passersby for help. To start, just let them press on the hood or trunk when you try to get out. This will additionally load the drive axle and improve the traction of the wheels. If this does not work, let them push in the direction of travel, helping the car get out.

Drive out with a swing

With a manual transmission, the surest way to get going is to rock the car to use the moment of inertia and compact the snow in the rut. To do this, align the wheels, engage reverse gear and move off, carefully working the gas pedal.

When the car starts moving, stop accelerating and let it roll back. Move off again smoothly. Drive until the wheels start to slip, but do not allow this to happen.

It is not possible to use the rocking method to its full potential on an automatic transmission: rapid and frequent switching of R-N-D modes can lead to transmission failure.

Therefore, turn on the drive or reverse mode (depending on the direction of movement) and try to move smoothly. As soon as you move, release the gas pedal and wait for the car to roll back.

Then start moving again and roll back until you get out.

Dig out the snow

Clear the wheels and the area around them of snow. A shovel will come in handy for this, and it is advisable to carry it in the trunk in winter.

If you don't have a shovel, use your feet, a stick, a piece of cardboard, or other available tools. Your goal is to remove snow from under the wheels and clear a track for them.

Put something under the wheels

If you can’t get out after clearing the snow, it means the wheels don’t have enough traction on the ground.

To ensure this, it is better to use special anti-skid tapes, advises “Life hacker”. But if you don’t have any, any available means will do. Place a jacket, branches, gravel – anything you can find in the trunk or around the car – under the drive wheels.

It is worth putting mats under the car, as some recommend, only if they are textile. Rubber ones will fly out from under the wheels as soon as you press the gas.
By the way, be careful. Anything under the wheels can fly out from under them when the car starts moving.

Let the tires down

This will help increase the contact patch with the surface and, as a result, the grip of the wheels.

Unscrew the valve cap and press on the valve stem with keys or another thin object.

Bring the pressure to about 1 atm. Without a pressure gauge, you can visually determine if a tire is underinflated by a slight flattening.

Don't overdo it, otherwise the empty tires may accidentally come off the rims under the weight of the car. Also, don't get too carried away if you don't have a compressor or pump at hand.