Winter Driving Tips --
- Always be cautious. Even a seemingly clear road can have ice. If you see the headlights or taillights of a car ahead of you reflect off the road, chances are it's ice.
- Make sure you turn on the engine and heater and scrape the snow from the car before setting out.
- Carry a set of jumper cables with you in case your battery dies. Most people will offer a jump but few people will actually carry the cables. Your chances of getting a jump-start increase 10-fold when you have your own cables.
- Test the road. When first starting out, briefly accelerate firmly, then firmly brake. This will give you a better feel for the road conditions. If you notice the road conditions change, repeat the process in a safe manner (at a stop sign or empty side street). Being aware of road conditions will help you make better driving decisions.
- Try not to have to stop completely, especially if on an incline.This means very gradual stops on snow and maintaining momentum before getting to a hill.
- Keep your gas tank full for 2 reasons: if you do get stuck somewhere and you're completely isolated for a period of time, you can use your car for warmth. It also prevents water condensation from forming in your gas tank. (some fuel additives are available on the market that "remove" the water mixed in your fuel.) Carrying a thick old blanket, coat or sleeping bag in the trunk is wise, too.
- Every time you approach a bridge or overpass - do your best just to coast over, without any acceleration or braking. Because air can travel underneath the road surface, as well as over it, any moisture on the road will freeze well before it would off of the road. As well, the shape of the bridge can increase wind velocities, cooling the road surface further and affecting handling.
- Unpacked snow in either the passing-lane, the shoulders, or in-between tire-tracks offer much better traction for steering or stopping than packed snow or ice in the right lane. Iced over lanes is a good place to be the meat in a metal-and-meat sandwich. Firmly grip the wheel, and slowly make your move to a safer place to drive.
- Carry a small plastic bucket with a good fitting lid full of a sand/ salt mixture in your trunk along with a small shovel. If you find yourself stuck and alone sometimes putting a little sand/salt mix under your tires can really help give you some traction and allow you to get yourself unstuck. Kitty litter also works but not quite as well.
- If there is a lot of slush between lanes, and you do have to change lanes - plan this ahead of time and do it at very low angle of approach, holding steering wheel steady. slush has a tendency to work almost as a suction strip that may cause sudden change of direction.
