A snow-covered road can be a challenge for any driver. Being an experienced driver is not a guarantee that you can handle a road that is smothered in snow. Ice and snow on the road reduce the traction of the wheels of your vehicle, which means it could just slide over the road, leaving you without any control.
The winter period also means that the road visibility is reduced because of fog and shorter daylight hours. Unsurprisingly, almost 20% of all vehicle crashes take place during the winter season.
How to Drive Safely in Snow
Ideally, you should avoid driving when the road is covered in ice and snow. That condition is really not meant for normal vehicular travels. However, there are instances when driving is inevitable. The good news is that there are some effective ideas that you can use when driving in snow.
Get Your Car Ready
Your car needs to be ready for the road when you have to drive in snow. First of all, you have to check your tires. Make sure that they have the right pressure and their tread to handle the frozen surface. You should also have ample fuel and be ready in case you get stuck in traffic.
Plan Your Route
You need to avoid congested roads and those with steep hills. You need to pick areas where snow plowing and snow hauling like those in Grande Prairie are constantly being done to clear the roads.
In case you do get stuck in traffic, or you experience some kind of mishap, you have to bring an emergency kit that you can use.
Use Snow Tires
If you live in an area where frozen roads is a common occurrence, you should consider using winter tires or snow tires. These types of tires are designed to give more traction when travelling over frozen roads. These tires are also made with materials that are meant for travelling over snow.
Drive Slow
This might seem like common sense when you are driving over frozen roads, but you would be surprised at how many accidents are caused by drivers going fast over frozen roads. Just think about how little control you have over the vehicle once it starts sliding over the frozen road.
You need to go slower when you are over a spot which is known to be treacherous when frozen.
Brake Early
You need to maintain a very good amount of space between the vehicle in front of you and you. You need to brake early to maintain that distance.
Be Careful about All-Drives
All-wheel drives may help you cope with the frozen road by giving you more traction, but it is not going to help you to brake early. So do not rely too much on all-wheel drives.
Ideally, you should avoid driving when the roads are covered in ice and snow. That condition is simply not ideal for your car. But these tips should give you an idea as to how you can deal with driving when you encounter frozen road conditions.
