Chapter 6: How to Drive in Snow (and Get Back Home Safely)
Extreme weather can be both dangerous and frightening to drivers. Winter storms, sloppy roads, and bad weather contribute to almost half a million crashes as well as over 2,000 road deaths each winter.
We recommend these tips for all when driving in a snowy condition:
Tips for Driving in Cold Weather
- Keep cold-weather gear on board, including warm clothing, a glass scraper, extra water and food, blankets, a flashlight, medications, and more.
- Always ensure your fuel tank is at least half full.
- Ensure the tires have adequate tread and properly inflated.
- Don’t ever warm up your vehicle in an enclosed space, like a garage.
- When driving on snow or a slippery surface, don’t use cruise control.
Safety Tips When Driving in Snow
- Stay at home: You can choose to stay at home unless it’s necessary that you venture out. By not getting out, you’ll avoid many risks.
- Drive slowly: When driving on ice or snow, adjust the speed down to account for low traction.
- Decelerate and accelerate slowly: To avoid skids and regain traction, apply the gas gradually. Don’t be in a hurry to move. Keep in mind that it takes slightly longer to slow down on an icy road.
- Know the brakes: Whether the car has antilock brakes or not, you should keep your foot’s heel on the floor and apply firm but steady pressure on the brake with your foot’s ball.
- Increase the distance between your vehicle and the one before you: Increase this distance to about five to six seconds. This way, you’ll have enough of room if you’d like to stop.
- Avoid stop if you can: There’s a significant difference between the quantity of inertia required to move from a stop and what it takes to keep moving when still on the roll. Thus, if you can slow the car down so it keeps rolling until there’s a change in the traffic light, do it.
- Don’t press more gas uphill: Applying more gas on a snow-covered road will simply make the wheels spin. Instead, you should get some inertia going before reaching the hill and move to the top of the hill with this inertia. As you near the hill’s crest, lower the speed and drive downhill slowly.
- Don’t stop when driving uphill: Driving up a hill on a snowy road can be challenging. That’s why you should gather some inertia when on a flat roadway before getting to the hill.
Smart Tips to Guide You When Making a Long-Distance Trip in Winter
- Be prepared: Get a good auto repair facility to inspect your vehicle before you hit the road.
- Know the weather: Be aware of the weather along the route you want to use and if possible, delay the trip if you anticipate bad weather.
- Stay connected: As you prepare to hit the road, inform others about your route, the expected destination, and the time you are likely to arrive.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
- Stay with the vehicle: Your car gives you a temporary shelter and allows people to locate and rescue you. Don’t walk when there’s a severe storm.
- Listen to your body: When digging out the car, don’t over exert yourself. Listen to the body and if you feel tired, stop.
- Remain visible: To signal rescuers, tie a bright colored piece of cloth on the car’s antenna or put a cloth at the upper section of a rolled up vehicle window. At night-time, don’t turn off the dome light if possible. It uses a negligible amount of power and can help rescuers to locate you.
- Stay warm: Be sure to insulate the body using what’s available. This could be paper maps, floor mats, or newspapers. Pre-pack heavy clothing and blankets for use in emergencies.
- Clear the exhaust pipe: Ensure that ice, snow, or mud doesn’t clog the exhaust pipe. A clogged exhaust pipe may cause toxic carbon monoxide to leak into the vehicle’s passenger compartment while the engine runs.
- Conserve fuel: Try only to run the heater and engine long enough to keep the chill out. This way, you’ll conserve fuel.
Driving can be easy when you have the right skills and understand your vehicle pretty well. But to really master driving, you need to learn from a professional driving instructor. At Pierre Paul Driving School, we teach both teens and adults how to be the best drivers and help them obtain a driver’s license faster.
Want to Pass the Driving Test on Your First Attempt?
Once you’ve learned driving, the next step is to schedule a driving test and pass it so you can get a driver’s license. However, about 72% of people fail their driving test on their first try. We analyzed thousands of driving tests to identify why most people fail e road tests and discovered 10 secrets you can use to pass the driving test on your first attempt. You can access these 10 powerful secrets right here.
