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Driving on Icy Roads - What to Remember? 7 Rules
Driving in winter can be very difficult. There are times when a layer of ice has already appeared on the road, and the administrator has not yet managed to sprinkle it with salt or sand. In such cases, you need to be especially careful. Otherwise, you can skid. How to avoid this? How to drive on an icy road?
- How to drive on icy roads? First of all, drive calmly and slowly to control your car as best as possible.
- Driving on icy roads requires starting off slowly and maintaining appropriate distances from other cars.
- In difficult winter conditions, ABS and ESP systems will come in handy to help avoid skidding.
- Find out more and read our article about car in winter!
- Change your tires before the first frost
- How to drive on icy roads? Reduce your speed
- Driving on icy roads – keep a greater distance from other vehicles
- Gently accelerate when starting
- Use ABS and ESP systems
- Safe braking in winter
- Getting out of a skid
It's easy to have a road accident in the winter. However, there are ways to reduce the risk of your car skidding in such demanding conditions. How to drive on icy roads? We give you a hint!
1. Change your tires before the first frost
Primarily driving on an icy road will be particularly difficult or almost impossible if you do not change your tires to winter tires or good all-season tires early enough. It is best to do this when the average daily temperature drops below 7°C. It is worth following the weather forecast and making an appointment to change your tires before the first frost. If you do it a few weeks too early, it does not matter. Winter tires are destroyed mainly in very high temperatures, and such conditions do not occur in autumn.
Tip! Make an appointment for tire replacement well in advance. After the first snowfall, it will be difficult to find a free date. This is when many drivers remember to change their set of tires.
2. How to drive on icy roads? Don't drive too fast
It is worth remembering that icy roads and high speeds are a recipe for disaster. How to drive on icy roads? In difficult conditions, you should not drive fast in a car. It is better to reduce the speed significantly below the permissible speed. Then, most drivers drive slower anyway, so you will not cause a hazard or difficulties on the road. It will also make it easier to react to unusual situations on the road, e.g. a pedestrian entering the roadway or to brake when the vehicle in front of you skids on icy roads.
Remember! Great care should be taken on bends. This is where vehicles most often skid and go off the road. When turning, do not accelerate or brake. It is best to lose speed beforehand.
Skidding on the motorway can be particularly dangerous. However, roads of this type are regularly cleared of snow, and the asphalt has the right parameters for driving even on snowy and frosty days. However, before you drive your car onto the motorway, make sure that it is maintained in a suitable condition and that it will be possible to drive on it at a higher speed. Such information may appear on government websites.
3. Driving on icy roads - keep a larger distance from other cars
Icy roads are not conducive to quick deceleration. The braking distance on a slippery surface can be extended even several times. For this reason, in such conditions it is worth maintaining a much larger distance from other vehicles. It should be 3-4 times longer than usual.
It is best to use engine braking to avoid having to press the brakes too quickly. driving on icy roads you should not make any dynamic movements – including those aimed at slowing down the car. If you press the brake pedal all the way down in difficult winter conditions, there is a very high probability that the vehicle will skid. Getting out of it safely will be very difficult. This is all because of the ice, which causes the wheels to lose traction.
4. When starting off, accelerate slowly
Time for rule number 4. Thinking about driving on an icy road, the topic of starting off should definitely be raised. How to start off when there is ice on the road? When starting off on an icy road, it is recommended to press the gas slowly. This will prevent the wheels from slipping. If the vehicle starts with difficulty, you can immediately select second gear. This is especially important in parking lots, where the gaps between cars are small. In such places, skidding when starting off could lead to a collision. Starting off in second gear is not pleasant, but it may be necessary in winter conditions.
5. Use ABS and ESP systems
Most cars have built-in ABS and ESP systems that help prevent skidding. Such systems will definitely prove useful during jdriving on an icy road and make it easier for every driver to drive a car in difficult conditions. The first of them makes it easier to maintain control over the vehicle during braking. However, it is worth braking calmly in cars with ABS, so that the system does not have to constantly intervene.
ESP will correct the driving path if the vehicle starts to skid. It can be switched off manually, so check whether it has been switched on again before the winter season. This is especially important for cars that have been used by other people.
6. Safe braking in winter
If we have ABS and ESP systems, braking in winter is of course a bit easier. If we don't have such systems, we have to use pulse braking. How does it work? In short, when the wheels are locking, we release the brake a bit until traction returns. Then we can press the pedal harder again. Find out more about winter braking!
7. Getting out of a skid
Of course, driving in winter on snow or a dirt road can still end in a skid. What should you do in such a situation? It depends on the situation.
- understeering skid (front of car loses traction) – you can't brake suddenly. You have to take your foot off the gas and reduce the turn.
- oversteering skid (the rear of the car loses traction) – you need to use the so-called countersteering. What does that mean? You need to turn the steering wheel in the direction the rear of the car is going. If, when turning left, we go into an understeering skid and the rear of the car loses traction and starts to “overtake” us – you need to turn the steering wheel to the right.
When the roads are covered in ice and snow, you need to be extra careful when driving. It is also worth following the rules listed to reduce the risk of skidding or to be better prepared in case you lose control of your car.
