Driving in the snow can be nerve-wracking, but stressing only makes it worse. Snow driving does not have to be too difficult, as long as you learn how first.
“I’m not ready for the snow yet, I don’t want to be sliding on the roads,” Connor Edens said. “I hope the main roads aren’t that bad this year.”
Type of car and tires
Some of the best cars you can drive during winter are AWD or FWD with snow tires. AWD allows all the wheels to spin simultaneously so you are less likely to go sideways around a corner. FWD allows for the front wheels to spin without the rears so your rear end is less likely to slide. Going sideways in this car with these tires is still possible, it will just make it less likely.
If you have a RWD vehicle just take it slow around corners and make sure you remember the following tips.
Don’t slam on the brakes
When you slam on the brakes when driving in the snow, it will lock up the wheels and all you will do is slide on the icy roads. Once you are sliding you are out of control of the vehicle depending on how bad you are sliding. When your out of control this can lead to car crashes where people get hurt or you could go in a ditch.
You want to slowly ease on the brakes so your tires still have traction and your safe, keep your tires spinning while driving on the snowy roads.
Don’t slam on the gas pedal
Normally when you put your foot to the floor the car either hooks the tires to the road or spins the tires a little but when the roads are slick it’s easy to lose traction so when you slam on the gas you will most likely just spin and you won’t go anywhere.
Ease on the gas so your tires can hook to the road and keep easing on the gas so its a nice smooth acceleration and you don’t lose that traction.
Don’t turn sharp
Turning in the snow can lead to so many things, one of them being drifting, for the group of you that dont know what drifting is it is when the rear end of the car loses traction and slides out behind you leaving you at an angle. Drifting is only going to happen in RWD cars and some AWD cars depending on the car. Drifting can lead to a crash, you in a ditch, and you losing control of the vehicle and spinning in circles.
Turn with a slight turn of the wheel and adjust as needed so you don’t have a miss hap.
Stay in in the middle of the lane
If you have ever noticed there is a nice area of slushy snow on the side of the road try your best not to hit this snow as it will suck you into itself and bring you in the ditch.
Don’t drive too fast
The snow makes the roads super slippery especially when it freezes, driving too fast on the roads at this time can lead to all of the above happening and leading to a pretty gnarly crash.
Drive at a solid five under or the speed limit exceeding it can cause your tires to lose traction and hydroplane on the road, you will be out of control and most likely be in a ditch or hit another car.
Be safe on the snowy roads and take all of this into account. Driving isn’t a game we play, it is a way to travel from one place to another and if you’re going to drive fast or drift corners do it in a safe private environment.
Driving on the roads isn’t just us going somewhere, it is a honer system of trusting others on the road that they know what they are doing and are going to be safe. For everyone out there please just drive safe.