Winter is right around the corner. As a matter of fact, I have already seen snow this fall in my home town. It's time to start thinking about safe driving in winter conditions.
This article was previously posted on my "fun" blog. A litte site maintenance and BAM, I have a serious side too! Obviously I like making fun of society and culture, but it doesn't pay the bills (not yet at least). My alter ego is that of a driving instructor. The job is it's most rewarding when I know I have helped someone: the single mom who needs a license, the soldier returning from Iraq, the nervous teen.
In blogging, perhaps I can extend my reach a bit. Winter is upon us and meeting winter driving challenges will require a change to some of our driving habits. Here are the top 10 mistakes made in winter driving. Take note of these and avoid committing them yourself.
Top mistakes in Winter Driving:
Remember that road conditions are at their worst the morning after the big snow. Once the snow has had a chance to freeze and then begin to melt, the roads are at their slipperiest. It is better to do your driving in the early afternoon than in the morning when the ice begins to melt or in the evening when the water begins to freeze. Of course, blizzard and white-out conditions are never safe for driving.
1. Driving too fast for conditions: Many drivers fail to remember that icy roads demand lower speed. The speed limit regulates travel speed under normal conditions. Winter conditions may require significantly slower speeds. National Driver Training emphasizes skid prevention by maintaining low speeds and using control inputs (steering, braking, and accelerating) gently. When driving significantly below the speed limit, it is appropriate for the driver to turn on hazard lights to make the vehicle more visible to other drivers.
2. Inappropriate braking: Stopping on ice requires nearly 7 times the distance of stopping on clean, dry roads. Wet roads (not iced over) require almost twice the stopping distance needed on dry roads. Drivers must remember to slow down earlier and use gentler brake pressure to come to a complete stop. Trying to brake too quickly over too little distance on icy roads will result in a loss of traction and, possibly, a skid. In an emergency, braking method depends on the type of braking technology with which your vehicle is equipped. Most cars today are standard equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS). ABS is a computerized system that measures brake torque and controls wheel-lockup. When driving a vehicle with ABS, if you need to stop in an emergency, apply the brakes with hard, firm pressure and maintain until stopped. ABS will probably cause the vehicle to make some strange noises and vibrate and it is nothing to be alarmed about; it is simply the system working as it should. ABS also allows the driver to steer while braking. It is important to remember that one should never "pump" ABS brakes because it confuses the computer system and renders the brakes inefficient at best. When driving a vehicle without ABS, use the threshold braking technique to stop quickly. The threshold braking technique requires the driver to manage wheel lock up and should be practiced on an icy day in an open parking lot. Using this technique, the driver applies the brakes as firmly as possible without locking the wheels. If the driver feels the wheels lock up, he or she should release brake pressure by a few degrees and reapply with slightly less pressure. Again, we do not recommend pumping the brakes because pumping cuts braking efficiency in half.
3. Inappropriate gear: Even cars with automatic transmissions have low gear settings. When driving on ice or ice covered with snow, use the lowest gear. When driving on melting snow or partially iced over roads, 2nd gear may be appropriate. Wet roads with dry spots or sludge are generally safe for 3rd gear. Sharp hills and curves will also be easier to navigate safely in low gear.
4. Over Accelerating: Drivers must remember to accelerate gently. Too much acceleration may result in a power skid. In case of a power skid, the driver should let up off the accelerator and turn the wheel in the direction he or she wants the vehicle to go.
5. Skid recovery: Most skids are caused by sudden changes in speed, sudden steering actions, panic braking, or sudden clutch usage (in a standard transmission) If your vehicle has lost traction in spite of your attempts to prevent a skid, you need to regain control as soon as possible. Practicing skid recovery in an open parking lot goes a long way to preventing panic in a loss of traction scenario. Most textbooks advise that skid recovery requires the driver to release acceleration or braking inputs and steer "in the direction of the skid". I find it easier to remember to steer "in the direction you want to go". If you vehicle is spinning to the right, turning the wheel to the left will put you back in your original path of travel. The vehicle may over correct and begin spinning to the left, in which case the driver needs to counter steer to the right to return to the original path of travel. Continue counter-steering until the desire path of travel is obtained. Apply acceleration gently as needed once traction is reestablished.
(Optional) Sometimes other measures can be taken if the driver can identify the type of traction loss early in the process. Front wheel traction loss, also known as "understeer", is one such instance. Understeer is first identified visually by the driver. The vehicle will travel straight in spite of steering input to the left or right. The weight of the vehicle is on the back wheels pushing the vehicle forward instead of along the intended turn. The driver may be able to regain control by bringing the weight of the vehicle to the front tires. To shift the balance of the vehicle to the front, the driver should activate the ABS brakes (if available). The braking action causes the vehicle load to shift forward; lowering the hood and putting more of the weight on the front tires. If the vehicle is not equipped with ABS, the driver should jab the brake pedal one time to try to force the vehicle weight to the front tires. The driver should visually target his or her desired path of travel because he/she will naturally steer in the direction he/she is looking.
6. Basic Visibility Concerns: Clean windows and lights are a must when driving in winter conditions. Too often, drivers neglect to clean all of the windows and brush the snow from the top of the vehicle, hood, and trunk. Snow left on the hood will invariably end up on the windshield. Snow left on the roof will end up on the back window and on someone else’s windshield. Additionally, use headlights on low beam to make it easier to be seen by other drivers. Using high beams is not appropriate during snow conditions since the snow will reflect the light back at the driver.
7. Worn out wipers and empty wiper fluid: Next to brushing and scraping the windshield, the driver needs good windshield wipers to maintain visibility. Old wipers or frozen wipers will not adequately clean the windshield and may cause streaks of water that will freeze over. Ice on the windshield will further wear-out the wipers and decrease their effectiveness. When driving on Avenues, Boulevards, Highways, and Expressways, road dirt and snow melting chemicals will splash on the windshield to further obstruct the driver's view. Wiper fluid is the only practical cleaning solution for windshields when the vehicle is in motion, so the driver should make sure the washer fluid is available before driving. It should go without saying wiper fluid is not an effective way to remove ice from a frozen windshield and should not be used until the vehicle is warm. I recommend a hydrophobic wiper fluid like "Rain-ex" brand to reduce freeze-over.
8. Neglecting Maintenance: Fall is the time to have your vehicle winterized. Have a reputable mechanic check the tires (tires have their best adhesion for the first 20,000 miles) as well as the drive belts, heating/cooling system, antifreeze levels, engine fluid levels, etc.
9. Misunderstanding vehicle technology: We discussed ABS previously. Other technologies that are misunderstood include traction control and 4 wheel drive transmission. Traction control systems will help a driver in slippery conditions by applying more power to wheels that are not slipping. 4 wheel and all wheel drive transmissions also distribute power to all the wheels instead of just the two front or two back wheels. In both cases, these technologies will help the prudent driver get out of a sticky situation, but neither of these technologies is designed to allow a driver to drive as though icy roads are actually clean and dry. In other words, four wheel drive is not a license to drive recklessly on snow or ice. It can not get you out of a skid, although it may help you get back on the road after slide off . . . Drivers of vehicles with these and related technologies should still exercise caution when roads are wet or slick.
10. Forgetting essentials: In the event of a collision, a blizzard, or becoming stuck away from home for any other reason, the stranded driver will want to have some winter specific emergency items ready. The list of potential emergency items can become very large and daunting. The actual emergency kit should be constructed based on the kind of trip the driver is taking. Some possible winter emergency equipment includes: Wool blankets*, snow boots, warm socks*, water resistant gloves*, a hat, a whistle, flashlight with extra batteries, metal mirror or reflective device, 3 inch diameter candle, waterproof matches or lighter, flares or bright orange (or red) cloth for signaling*, large trash bag, Swiss army knife, duct tape, compass, map, jumper cables*, bag of sand (this will help melt snow or ice as well as provide traction under the tires--rock salt or kitty litter will work)*, a gallon of water*, granola or trail mix*, first aid kit*, ice scraper*, tire chains*, small shovel*, cell phone*, and extra windshield washer fluid*. Items marked with an asterisk are probably the most common emergency items.
For your edification and with the help of the National Driver Training Institute, I have arranged for a winter driving clip that you can view at: http://www.usdrivertraining.com/DriverEdColumn2.php.
Drive Safely.
