Winter Driving Safety
Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous
for automobile travel. Motorists should know the safety
rules for dealing with winter road emergencies.
AAA recommends the following winter
driving tips:
• Avoid driving while you’re fatigued. Getting
the proper amount of rest before taking on
winter weather tasks reduces driving risks.
• Never run a vehicle in an enclosed area, such
as a garage.
• Make certain your tires are properly inflated.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full.
• If possible, avoid using your parking brake in
cold, rainy and snowy weather.
• Do not use cruise control when driving on
any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
• Always look and steer where you want to go.
• Use your seat belt every time you get into
your vehicle.
Tips for long-distance winter trips:
• Watch weather repo rts prior to a long-
distance drive or before driving in isolated
areas. Delay trips when especially bad
weather is expected. If you must leave,
let others know your route, destination and
estimated time of arrival.
• Always make sure your vehicle is in peak
operating condition by having it inspected by
a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility.
• Keep at least half a tank of gasoline in your
vehicle at all times.
• Pack a cellular telephone with your local
AAA’s telephone number, plus blankets,
gloves, hats, food, water and any needed
medication in your vehicle.
• If you become snow-bound, stay with your
vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and
makes it easier for rescuers to locate you.
Don’t try to walk in a severe storm. It’s easy
to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow
and become lost.
• Don’t over-exert yourself if you try to push or
dig your vehicle out of the snow.
• Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna or
place a cloth at the top of a rolled-up window
to signal distress. At night, keep the dome
light on if possible. It only uses a small
amount of electricity and will make it easier
for rescuers to find you.
• Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t clogged with
snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust
could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to
leak into the passenger compartment with
the engine running.
• Use whatever is available to insulate your
body from the cold. This could include floor
mats, newspapers or paper maps.
• If possible run the engine and heater just
long enough to remove the chill and to
conserve gasoline.
Tips for driving in the snow:
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• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying
the gas slowly to accelerate is the best
method for regaining traction and avoiding
skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry.
And take time to slow down for a stoplight.
Remember, it takes longer to slow down on
icy roads.
• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on
snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping
and turning—nothing happens as quickly as
on dry pavement. Give yourself time to
maneuver by driving slowly.
• The normal dry-pavement following distance
of three to four seconds should be increased
to eight to 10 seconds. This increased margin
of safety will provide the longer distance
needed if you have to stop.
• Know your brakes. If you have anti-lock
brakes (ABS) and need to slow down
quickly, press hard on the pedal—it’s normal
for the pedal to vibrate a bit when the ABS
is activated. In cars without ABS, use
“threshold” braking, keeping your heel on
the floorboard and using the ball of your foot
to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake
pedal.
• Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big
difference in the amount of inertia it takes to
start moving from a full stop versus how
much it takes to get moving while still rolling.
If you can slow down enough to keep rolling
until a traffic light changes, do it.
• Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas
on snow-covered roads just starts your
wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia
going before you reach the hill and let that
inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the
crest of the hill, reduce your speed and
proceed downhill as slowly as possible.
• Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing
worse than trying to get moving up a hill
on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a
flat roadway before you take on the hill.
• Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out,
don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow,
not everyone else can. n