Safe Driving on Ice
By admin on January 12th, 2008
Normally when you drive, you expect that your car will respond to your wishes. You brake, it stops. You turn, it turns. What we sometimes forget, is that the responsivenes requires that the car be firmly gripping the road. Once you introduce ice, and kill the friction that lets you exert power against the ground, the car can become uncontrollable .
Here are some tips for driving safely on an icy road:
Overpasses and Bridges are exposed to cold air above and below the roadbed, so they cool more quickly than normal ground. Thus they'll often freeze first and present you with a suddon loss of road traction. So in potentially icy weather, always slow down when approaching a bridge and avoid any sudden changes in speed or direction.
Keep your speed steady and moderately slow
Don't drive so slow that you get stuck in the snow, you need enough forward momentum to clear the snow ahead
Use your brakes smoothly, sparingly and cautiously. Slamming on your brakes will just lock up your wheels, and you'll start sliding across the ice. Ask your local friendly physicist to explain the difference between static and kinetic friction. Simply put, once you start sliding you have less grip on the ground than when you are rolling. No friction, no steering, no control.
To make your Antilock Brakes work properly, use firm steady pressure to the brake pedal. If you need to stop suddenly, you can push the brake pedal all the way to the flooreven in wet or icy conditions. The antilock mechanism will handle the pumping for you. It will apply fast, short spurts of braking alternating with moments of release.
If you get stuck in snow, straighten the wheels and accelerate slowly. Don't spin your tires. The goal is to establish traction, not speed. Use sand or cinders under the drive wheels.
If you are going to an area where you expect snow and ice, get chains for you your car. They provide excellent bite in all but the coldest, hardest ice.
Driving safely is the best way to keep you auto insurance rates low and your agent happy with you.
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