• 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.
• 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
Tips for driving in the snow:
• 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. n
West Mifflin | Winter 2016 | icmags.com 31