Winter weather has the potential to be scary as well as dangerous when it comes to driving. There are some things to know about how to drive safely in the snow.
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How To Drive Safely In The Snow
Accelerate and decelerate slowly
In order to keep your traction and avoid skidding, you want to apply the gas slowly. When you need to slow down at say a stop light or stop sign, take your time slowing down.
Don’t drive fast
Everything from accelerating to turning to stopping takes much longer during winter weather. Be sure that you allow for plenty of time to maneuver by slowing down your speeds.
Don’t follow other vehicles too closely
When you are driving on pavement that is dry, you should be at least 3-4 seconds from the car in front of you. However, during periods of snow, you need to allow a greater distance so you have enough room to stop if needed. In snowy weather, you want to be at least 8-10 seconds from the car in front of you.
Don’t step on the gas hard going uphill
If you step on the gas hard to try and get up a hill, all you will do is make the tires spin. Instead, try to gain speed before you get to the hill and use that speed to get you to the top.
Don’t try and stop going uphill
Another thing you don’t want to do when going up a hill is to step on the brakes. If you stop on a hill in the snow, you will have a tough time to get going again.
If you do skid, don’t step on the brakes
If you do happen to skid when driving in the snow, you don’t want to step on the brake and you don’t want to take your hands off the steering wheel. Instead, you want to steer the car into the skid.
These are winter-specific tips, check out this post on other bad driving habits to avoid.
