Why These 11 Winter-Driving Tips Are So Effective
If the early headlines are any indication, then this winter might be a tough one.
When it comes to safeguarding yourself and your family against icy, whiteout, and freezing conditions, the time to begin winterizing your vehicle and mentally preparing is now–especially if you’re in the northernmost U.S. and Canada.
So we’ve collected some tried-and-true tactics that have stood the test of time, and updated that list with some modern strategies (namely some cool tech right from the RVS collection).
Visibility
- Warm up your vehicle and cab first to reduce the chances of your windows fogging up
- Make sure your lights, windshield, windows, and mirrors are as clean as possible and take every chance you have to wipe them down–a clean start helps reduce the need to stop and do so during the drive
- Invest in heated cold-proof or waterproof camera systems that enhance your views, as blind-spots become worse during bad weather
Driving
- Drive slower than normal to avoid invisible (better known as black) ice, which forms on the road after snow melts and then freezes over
- Give more space to other cars than you usually would, as slowing down and braking become decelerated in slippery conditions; at least 4 car lengths is a good distance. If you can clearly see the next car’s tail lights, you’re too close
- Invest in a waterproof proximity alert--if you have to drive in whiteout conditions, this will increase visibility without having to see, and give a warning before a worse-case scenario can happen
Skidding
- For a back wheel-skid, steer in the direction you’re skidding and avoid accelerating or frantically pumping the brakes if you have anti-lock brakes. Pump them gently if you have standard brakes
- For a front wheel-skid, avoid accelerating and shift to neutral, and avoid steering altogether until you’re done skidding
If You’re Stuck
- Avoid spinning your wheels as much as possible. Warm parked tires turn snow into water, which then turns water into ice in freezing conditions. A useful hack for creating traction underneath your wheels is throwing some kitty litter underneath them. It’s an effective and environmentally safe way to get out of those ruts.
Brakes
- For standard brakes: pump your brakes instead of hard-stopping,; for anti-lock brakes, pump gently.
- Watch for the ice around in your air tanks, as neither your engine heat nor the compressed air in the tank is enough to melt it. Carrying a hammer and putty knife to manually break and discard the ice that results from melted snow that gets under there is the best way to go about preventing build-up.
Of course, the best advice is avoid driving altogether in bad conditions altogether, but that’s not always possible. Staying cautious and prepared is your best option!
