SAFETY TIPS ON DRIVING IN SNOW CONDITIONS!

Posted by Hellen G.
5
Mar 17, 2014
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Severe weather can be dangerous and frightening for you to travel. You should be informed of the rules to follow and learn how to drive safe in snow conditions. Snow is formed during winter. Driving your car when the road is icy and snowy is a stressful ordeal and as much as some vehicles are well suited for this, others are not and therefore this will require you to know how to keep your car in good condition through proper preparation before starting your journey. First of all, get your car service regular as preventive maintenance is the key. Make sure that your cooling system, battery and windshield wipers are all in tip-top shape. It is less costly servicing your car than spend cash and time towing and fixing it on a dark and snowy road.

Buy snow tires or just add chains on your car existing tires as these tires have special threads which will dig through snow therefore giving your vehicle a good traction. At the same time, they have a tender kind of rubber that does not freeze in cold temperatures like snow. It is advisable that all your tires, all wheels are of that quality and your rear tires should have greater or equal grip than front tires for safe breaking, mostly when you are driving downhill. Moreover, for you to be safe driving in snow weather, you have to practice frequently in winter seasons and if you are learning to drive or you are unfamiliar driving in icy or snowy conditions, then practice after a storm in an empty and large parking lot with seasoned drivers. Practice to safely brake, how to get out of a skid and do not forget to monitor how your car will handle the winter weather. This will be lot of fun!

Drive slowly in this kind of weather no matter how much experience and preparation you might have because the way your car will be moving on ice or snow has a very big element of unpredictability. Always anticipate on stops and turns and approach them gently without accelerating. Put few sand bags over the rear axle directly if you have a rear drive car. The weight of sand will provide pressure on tires for better traction and increase momentum. Traction will be helpful when you are stuck as it will pour some amount of sand in front of slipping tires. When driving in snow weather, always look ahead, keep safe especially from those vehicles in front by doubling the distance as much as you can and keep scanning the vehicles ahead of you and be careful on brake lights as this will enable you to brake where necessary without sliding into those vehicles in front of you.

Ease up the gas immediately your car starts to slip when accelerating from a stand hill. You have to remember that the wheels have better traction when not slipping. Many of you are terrified of the hills in winter driving conditions. Take caution on this by not applying brakes on hills whether going downhill or uphill and again do not slow down while on a hill as this is difficult to deal with. If your car is hydroplaning, then gentle ease the throttle by lifting it off completely. If this will not work, then de-clutch or re-apply the throttle a little and if your car seems not to turn, again ease off the throttle lightly as this might help. Panicking while steering sharply will reduce control. Lastly, if your front windshield gets overridden by fumes re-directing the A/C on air re-circulation with the front window open, it will actually remove moist very quickly unless the inside of your car is moist and hot and the A/C is well turned on with fresh air. It is more fun if you know how to drive safe in snow conditions.


Hellen works with Ireland Spares for used car parts suppliers in salvage yards Ireland she also have a huge collection of sports cars and their parts she sale car parts online on discounted rates, live with her family.

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