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Safety Precautions When Driving in the Snow

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How to Drive Safely in the Snow

Ok, lets face it, some people can't drive even when the conditions are good, but if you throw snow or ice into the mix, you see cars in the shoulders left and right. This morning on the way to work I encountered a small snowfall that I was not expecting. Here at home it was rain, but before I got two miles down the freeway I started to to see snow, which grew heavier until halfway there, then tapered off to rain again. Weird that it stayed in such a small area...

Anyway, I saw a number of cars on the side of the road along the way. Maybe if someone told them how to drive in the snow they wouldn't have been in that situation. I will share several tips to stay safe while driving on snow or ice.

Safe Snow Driving tip #1

Slow Down!

The best tip I can give to drive safely in the snow is to SLOW DOWN.
Let me repeat that one more time for effect SLOW DOWN.
Actually, they say you have to repeat something 3 times for it to sink in, so let me say again SLOW DOWN!!!!

Got it? Take your time when driving in the snow. The snow reduces the traction of the tires against the road, reduced traction means less control, and less control will send you spinning off the road fast. I think there might be some kind of physics formula there, something about speed and force and traction and...well that's all over my head, but if you don't slow down, you risk losing control. Enough said?

Safe Snow Driving Tip #2

Break Early and Lightly

This snow driving safety tip relates directly to the first tip, which was to slow down. It only makes sense that if snow makes it harder to control your vehicle, you should break much earlier and more lightly than you normally would. Hitting the brakes at your normal force is likely to cause you to slide around. Trust me, I slid through many stop signs before I figured this one out :-O

So yes, tip #2 is to break early and lightly. Now if other idiots on the road would refrain from cutting you off, you'd be all set. Well, once you learn the rest of my tips, anyway.

Cars sliding in the snow

Watch out, these cars are sliding around like crazy in Seattle.
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Safe Snow Driving Tip #3

Increase Your Following Distance

OK, review time. What's tip #1? SLOW DOWN. Tip #2? Break early and lightly.

Tip #3 for driving safely in the snow and on ice is to allow for a greater following distance. This really should be no surprise after the first two tips. Remember, it is harder to control your vehicle when the traction is reduced, so leaving a larger following distance will give you time to break early if you need to. Pretty easy, right?

Safe Snow Driving Tip #4

Turn off cruise control

When you are driving in the snow, you need to be in control of the vehicle. Leaving a computer in charge is not a good idea. When you have your foot on the pedal and are actively controlling your speed, you can feel what is going on much better than when the cruise control is on. That allows you to make tiny adjustments when the traction is bad. This tip could easily be just as important as tip #1, so don't think that just because it's #4 that it's any less vital to your safety.

Safe Snow Driving Tip #5

Chains and Snow Tires

This is my last tip for staying safe on the roads in winter. Get chains or snow tires for your vehicle to increase the traction. I know it can be a pain to change them out, but when it comes to your safety, isn't a little inconvenience worthwhile?

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  • Reply
    PeteSchultz Feb 1, 2011 @ 3:29 pm | delete
    You could add to steer into a skid and add that if you go in the ditch, pull it out the way it went in. I've actually watched people try to pull a vehicle forward through the ditch filled with snow....incredibly difficult and unnecessary.
  • Reply
    mypotlpeople Jan 25, 2011 @ 10:40 pm | delete
    Great winter driving tips. I learned to slow down the first time I ever drove in winter. I slipped into the ditch.
  • Reply
    danr62 Jan 25, 2011 @ 11:27 pm | delete
    That could have easily been me.
  • Reply
    Jan 25, 2011 @ 3:41 pm | delete
    Great information, more people here in Vancouver, BC should read this and learn how to drive when it snows here..
  • Reply
    d-artist Jan 24, 2011 @ 10:45 am | delete
    Great informative lens! we moved to the Midwest from California it was an adjustment, it was winter time and we never even considered that it snowed in Kansas (the first State we moved to) I learned the hard way but became a good winter driver...we moved to Wisconsin to my horror, MORE snow...now drivers born in this state should know how to drive, well, there are some STUPID people out there, they do not slow down or even think of the new driving conditions...one tip I would add, when slowing down to stop, sift down a gear (4 speed or auto) it helps slowing down...we use "all weather" tires year round.
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danr62

I am a man of many interests :-) I am a dedicated Christian and a father of two. Well, my wife is pregnant with the second one, anyway. I am also an online... more »

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