It’s always a challenge to drive in the winter snow. The beautiful white snow that seems harmless can cause severe harm to the passengers if you are not driving carefully. The number of accidents increases in winters due to snow and ice-covered roads and low visibility.
Here are a few tips on how to drive safely in the winter snow.
Prepare Your Car For A Snowy Road.
It’s the first and foremost thing to prepare your car for the snowy road before heading out, even for a short trip to your nearest Walmart. The things that you should do before driving your car are:
- Clear the vision by cleaning your windshield correctly.
- Remove snow and ice from your car.
- Check the fuel and get more fuel if you are running low on it.
- Check tires. The trick for checking tires is to put a coin in the grove of the tire. If it stays in, your tire is OK, but if it falls out, then it’s time to change your tires.
- Check tire pressure.
How To Drive In The Winter Snow?
- Be vigilant.
You must be very attentive when you are driving on the showy road. A little mistake can cause tremendous damage. Try not to drive when you are not mentally fully alert. Look out for signs of danger and act out fast according to the situation. - Do Not use your phone.
Never use your phone while driving because it is a big distraction, leading to fatal accidents. - Drive Slow.
Always drive slow so you that your car doesn’t gain much momentum; the more the momentum is, the more difficult its to stop the car, especially around the corners and turns. It will also prevent skids. - Do not use cruise control.
Cruise control will cause a skid in the snow because it will make the wheels spin faster to maintain the speed, resulting in a skid. - What To Do When A Skid Happens?
STAY CALM! Take your foot off the accelerator, do not brake and steer in the direction of the skid and keep your eyes on where you desire to take your care while avoiding the possible collisions. - Use The Car’s ABS.
If you are trying to stop your car and nothing else is working, then use ABS. Just press the brake hard and don’t lift your foot off it until the vehicle stops completely. It will activate the car’s automatic braking system. The car’s computer will stop all four wheels faster than humanly possible. - Maintain Safe Distance.
It’s crucial to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles so that you don’t hit another vehicle or some other vehicle doesn’t hit you by delayed stopping. - Beware Of Black Ice.
If the road seems dry, but you see spots of the road that look dark and glossy, that will probably be black ice. Your car is highly likely to skid on the black ice. The best thing that you can do is let the car pass through the black ice patch and just steer. - Use fog lights.
Incase the visibility gets below 100 meters, turn the fog lights on to avoid an accident. Don’t forget to turn them off once the visibility increases.
Don’t be fooled by 4 Wheel Drive.
4-wheel-drive vehicles do not provide enough Breaking for snowy roads, leading to spinning tires. 4WD SUVs have a higher center of gravity as compared to 2 wheel drive vehicles, making them more prone to rolling.
Use Winter Tires.
Use traction Tires(commonly known as snow tires) in winters because they provide better grip and traction on snowy roads. And keep tire chains in your car to get traction in extreme conditions.
Be Prepared For The Worst And Pack Accordingly.
Always keep an emergency kit with you even if you are going out for a short time.
- Flashlight and spare batteries.
- A first aid kit
- An ice scraper
- A demisting pad
- A warning sign such as a triangle, bright-colored sign or flares
- A hi-visibility vest to make you visible.
- A blanket to keep you warm.
- Some food, preferably high-protein snacks
- Water and some box juices.
- A shovel.
- Roll of paper towels.
- A map.
- Jumper cables,
- Phone charger
- Tow rope.
- Fuel line de-icer.
- Warm clothing, warm footwear, warm and work gloves, and wind-proof pants.
It is crucial to charge your phone before leaving home, and you must have your provider’s number saved in it if your car breaks down.
Get An Extended Car Warranty Before The Winter Starts!
If you just bought your vehicle and it’s under a factory warranty, then you are good to go. But if your factory warranty has expired, you MUST get an extended warranty before the winter starts. It will save you from many hassles, mentally, physically, and financially. You will be provided 24/7 roadside assistance if your car breaks down so that you are not stranded on the road alone. You won’t have to worry about the colossal mechanic bill because it will be covered under warranty.