How to Drive in Winter Snow Conditions Safely
78
Drive in the Snow Safely
Do you know how to drive in the snow? When driving in the snow for greater lengths than the short commute to work do you carry the right equipment with you, do you ensure that you have extra warm clothing in case of a mishap, do you have an emergency kit in your vehicle?
The first thing you need to make sure of is that your vehicle is properly equipped for the winter driving conditions that you may encounter. Put some good winter tires on your auto, carry blankets just in case of emergency, carry water and a few snacks too. Don't let your gas tank get too low in cold weather, especially with some of the Ethanol blended fuels being sold these days; keep a good mixture in your tank.
How to drive in the snow DOES include the fact that you need to slow down and don't forget to leave plenty of space between you and the other vehicles you are sharing the road with. Slowing down seems to be something that is often overlooked, don't kid yourself, you are not immune to an auto accident; slow down on winter roads for you safety and the safety of all others.
Be very watchful of other vehicles and anticipate possible problems instead of just suddenly reacting to them, learn how to use your vehicles specially built in controls properly. Many experts have talked about ‘Target Fixation’ and this is not a practice you want to employ, you need be retrained to take the proper evasive action. When you fixate on the target you fear striking, you’re aiming for it; you need to look at where you want to go.
If you see yourself as someone that tends to panic in the face of an impending mishap and cannot stop focusing on your imminent doom when going into a skid you may very well need to enlist an expert trainer; An Expert Driving Trainer will teach you how to negotiate through these skids, should they occur.
If you live in a snowy winter wonderland one easy step to take on how to drive in the snow is getting a good set of snow tires for your vehicle, they make a world of difference. From my experience I can honestly say that I no longer skid when coming to a stop at an intersection, I did skid when I kept all-season tires on my car in the winter months. This does not mean you can drive your regular summer speeds just because you have snow tires; you still NEED to SLOW DOWN for the present road conditions.
How to drive in the Snow necessitates the need to stop thinking that our anti-lock brakes, stability systems or other vehicle control devices are going to save us when we are sliding out of control. If you are driving too fast for the present road conditions and lose control of your vehicle the odds are high that you are going to go off the road and nothing much is going to change that.
 | Amazon Price: $44.99 List Price: $99.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $17.07 List Price: $63.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $34.25 List Price: $39.99 |
Winter Driving Tips
An important thing to remember when you put into practice the skills of How to drive in the snow is to keep your distance from anyone you may be following. Stop tailgating, you are putting the person you rear end and your life at risk; double the distance between you and the car you are following when you are experiencing poor driving conditions. Keep your eyes on the road and look ahead of you, be prepared if the driver in front of you starts to lose control.
How to drive in the snow also tells you that when driving on winter roads and approaching a curve you need to slow down ahead of the corner. Brake before you reach the corner and then release the brake, allowing the car to grip the corner and take you through it.
If you are caught out in poor winter driving conditions and do not have winters tire on your car or snow chains you need to follow what is recommended by instructors. ‘Keep your driving steady and smooth’, no sudden moves and do your best to stay in the already lain path which was made by other cars before you. My way of thinking is ‘unless you are driving a snow plow’ you don’t want to be the one blazing the path, been there and done that, not fun at all – extremely dangerous, all it takes is one wrong move.
How to Drive in the Snow Tips:
- Double your following distance in poor weather conditions (Stop Tailgating)
- Slow down
- Brake before corners, not while cornering
- Use good winter tires or chains if necessary
- Look where you want to go if you get into a skid
- Follow the already lain path, as long as it does not lead over a cliff and out of sight :-)
- Make sure you are visible, headlights on
- Carry your safety kit
- Make sure you have spare warm clothing with you for all members of your vehicle
- DO NOT use cruise control on winter snow and ice covered roads
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (19)
- Funny (1)
- Awesome (1)
- Beautiful
- Interesting (6)
CommentsLoading...
I agree sport, sometimes there is no way out of the jam. I've been in a couple myself, it's especially hard to avoid getting rear ended.
This is a great article. We need to read this hub in Dallas for the two weeks we get snow. Of course, most people around here just use sick days and sleep in. I did not realize cruise control was a bad idea in snow.
Hi Leroy,
Thanks for commenting. An example of not using cruise control on winter roads is the upside down van you see in the pics. The vehicle sped up to keep with the speed that the driver had set and the vehicle happened to speed up on a patch of ice and the driver lost control of the vehicle.
Congratulation for the hub of the day! Thanks for the information. Voted up.
Thank you Thelma, I never knew I had gotten that honor. I'm shocked and pleasantly surprised.
Winter driving here, and in many other snowy winter places, can be very dicey at times and people need to use caution.
I did try to edit my above comment but it did not seem to take, but yes, now I did find the email from Hubpages and wow, left speechless; well perhaps not really speechless.
:-)
A little tip for stopping: If you drive an automatic and need to stop quickly put your transmission in Neutral. It will just slip in if you push the stick, that's how it's designed. It will improve your stopping distance immensely.
Great Hub of the Day! Thanks for reminders and new-to-me tips. The hub is generating helpful comments, too--another sign of a winner. :)
Excellent tip OutWest for the automatic transmission, I for one did not know that, thank you.
Thank you RTalloni for the feedback. Living where I live I've seen a lot of winter accidents that could have been avoided if only people would slow down and use some common sense. I Even got to be the lucky participant in a winter accident or two, yay for me (sarcasm), I was not the driver in either.
I learned to drive in snow while living in upstate New York for many years. Your driving tips are excellent, and will be a great help to drivers inexperienced with snow driving. Your emphasis on slowing down and keeping your distance from other traffic is right on! It's an interesting point you brought up about target fixation - something I didn't realize and will try to remember.
Since I had a 20 mile commute to work on country roads, I also learned to keep some additional gear in my car. Many days can start out clear, but deteriorate into bad snow storms by the end of the work day. I always kept a set of boots, gloves, a blanket, an ice scraper, a shovel and some kitty litter (for traction in case of getting stuck) in my car.
Congratulations on Hub of the Day - it's well deserved!
I agree with sportgames. Sometimes it is very hard to avoid an accident, especially when you are forced to drive (for work, kids, etc.) in bad conditions and/or when there are unsafe drivers on the road. I appreciate the tips, though. I wish more people would take the time to learn the proper techniques. Congrats on getting Hub of the Day!
I know I might sound a little insane when I say this. I do actually like the challenge of driving in the snow and ice. It adds to the challenge of driving. Here in the UK were hopeless when we see even a flake of snow !
This hub is very informational and useful. The winters in Chicago can be quite nasty and brutally cold. I have seen too many cars slip and slide on sheets of ice because they are in a hurry to get to their destination. About two weeks ago, I saw a car that crashed into a lightpole. This was not a pretty sight. I cannot stress enough that people need to slow down in this kind of weather. It's better to get where you need to go in one piece than to be in a hurry and become a victim in an accident. What a great hub with some good advice. Voted up.
Stephanie thank you and great tip with the kitty litter for getting a bit of traction, this can help a lot if you're in a small jam and can't get enough traction to get going.
Randomcreative thanks for your input and yes there are plenty of times when it is unavoidable, especially when people are sliding all over the place, the picture by the headline 'winter driving tips' is a prime example of that. I'll tell you it certainly sucks to be the lead car when there is a blizzard and they're riding your back end like their life depended on it.
Lukeuk thanks for your input. I wish I could say the same myself. I'm not scared to drive most winter roads, I'm more scared of what some other drivers might do and end up smacking into me.
I have driven on completely iced over roads (no snow on the roads, just a solid sheet of ice, freezing rain) where you floated and it is not a great feeling to float in your vehicle like that, one wrong move and you lose control.
Hi Nina64, thank you for your comment, you sound like you are all too familiar with the same conditions we have, great advice from you as well; people need to slow down to the road conditions.
This is an excellent article! We've made it through thus far of winter without snow, and we're due for a big batch tomorrow. Driving in snow is nerve wrecking enough, but add in new drivers, or people who are inexperienced with driving in snow makes it extra dangerous. These are tips everyone can benefit from. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Magdelene, I'm pretty sure your advice will be well taken by a lot people. If people were to just take their time driving in these conditions, a lot of accidents could be prevented. Driving on the Dan Ryan or the Stevenson expressway during a winter storm is no fun. Have a great day!!!! :)
Out here in California we never have to worry about snow, but it's good to read about snow driving if you travel a lot. If you're not used to it, driving in the snow can be a total nightmare. Congratulations on hub of the day!
Good constant reminder to all affected. It is ridiculous how people insist on driving like it's summer on the road when it's clearly winter. Sad when they hurt other people and animals.
Congratulations on Hub of the Day!
Excellent tips, although not any I'll be needing--we have a deal with snow--it doesn't visit us, and we don't visit it! ;-)
I do have second-hand knowledge about hitting ice, though--it happened to my husband years before we met--there is really nothing you can do once the slide starts, you're only along for the ride. It is the reason he refuses to drive to snow country in the winter.
But you know what? You can get into very similar kinds of trouble in the rain--so the advice holds regardless.
Great advice, at any time, however, snow or not, to carry an emergency kit, snacks and water on long trips.
Voted up, useful, interesting and shared!
Congratulations on hub of the day. This is great advice as we are getting into winter. Slowing down, providing proper distance, being more watchful is very important. We also need to start breaking earlier to give ourselves time to stop.
I may be repeating someone, but did not see this tip: if you are driving a rear wheel drive truck it is always a good idea to have sandbags in the back of the box behind the wheel wells. I was driving my uncle's truck yesterday and hit a slippery section of road going up a hill. We fish-tailed for a bit but I did manage to keep it in control. Needless to say, his truck now has sandbags.
Congratulations on Hub of the Day!
Thank you to everyone for the congrats and giving your great feedback with more helpful tips on winter driving. I appreciate everyone's input.
I would like to be able to thank you all individually but I cannot comment more at this time as my website is broken and I have to fix it; one is broken bad. But, be assured I honestly value all of your comments and added tips.
Great tips :) I really don't personally follow some of them but I do agree. No worries, I am a trained driver. I keep my distance (usually further then double as I am not usually in any hurry), I have never remembered to get snow tires for winter and I can't remember ever having a safety kit more then band-aids and first aid. I would recommend them but I am just not one who thinks of this.
One tip I would like to add is constantly keep your eyes moving. Never fix your eyes on one area, even on dry roads. You should always know all of your outs of a situation. By constantly looking around, you get less tired and you will be prepared for vehicles coming up behind and in front of you.
I used to drive a bus and well the way that this bus handled in the snow, let's just say that it was a 30,000 lb sled more then anything (seriously I used to joke and say I was bus sledding when it snowed.) I totally agree too with the comment about putting trans in neutral. You can do this also when you go down a hill and just use your brakes to keep you slow. Using both the trans and the brakes on a hill can produce a slide.
Congrats on featured hub :)
If you really want to learn how your car reacts in the snow, find a large empty parking lot and put your car through some testing of your own, the best way to learn is to practice. Good hub. Food for thought...A 4x4 may start off quicker in the snow, but doesn't stop any faster :)
good tips !! i needed it as snow is coming tonight in chicago !! great hub
Congrats on the HOTD award!
Having lived in NewYork city and Michigan, I must say, as great as these tips are, you need to know your vehicle, how it performs in snow. It also helps if you live in a place where the gov't takes proper measures to make the road safe,i.e, snow raking, using salt etc.
I've been in a few round-about effect in NY, NJ, and MI, even with no other vehicles in site. When you have over 14 inches of snow, your tires tends to roam at will. Thank God for preventing those near-accidents.
Great hub though. Very well written.
I live in an area that regularly gets snow. It is odd, though, that we have not truly had any yet this winter season. That said, though, it is predicted to start coming in tonight in to tomorrow. That'll be a hard thrust back in to the reality of winter since it's been a very odd 50 degrees lately.
What I would like to add is that you can also get winter wiper blades to help you see. And though chains may be a good idea in some areas, please do check with your local laws as they are illegal where I live. Another thing I do is to drive on the freeway as much as possible as (at least where I am) they get plowed out first, tend to be the clearest roads, and you don't need to be concerned with stop lights or signs.
The last thing I'll mention is that we can all purposefully practice a little every time the snow starts for the year. My Dad taught me that, and I think it's a really good idea. He goes and finds a parking lot without any light polls in it and purposefully goes there before it gets plowed out in order to slide around on purpose. If you practice it in a safe environment and are very careful about it, it can really help you get out of a bad slide situation when it really happens on the road. I know that I practice this at times and he forced me to skid a little when teaching me how to drive; and it is because of all the practice that I have never been in a winter accident despite our blizzards.
Now, if only the "racing" semis would slow down on the freeways......
I've been driving in wintry, snowy weather for 40 years and the first time roads are slippery each year, I begin to proceed with caution. I can just never figure out why so many other people drive as if they were on dry pavement, so my defensive driving habits are in full force.
Congratulations on Hub of the Day!
Thank you to all for your much appreciated comments. The response here has been fantastic, thank you everyone for your valuable input!
When our kids were small I hadn't been driving for long. We headed into town and I hit an icy spot on a back road and our car spin completely around. My kids yelled, then they said "Do it again Mom." We were all fine and just kept driving to town.
Congrats on Hub of the Day.
There is no wonder why you were granted the Hub of the Day accolade, this is fantastic! Great information and a real concern for those who travel on snowy winter roads. Thanks for such a helpful hub!
Cheers~
K9
Very useful and great hub!
Magdelene, excellent hub. Winter has finally hit where I live, 54 degrees and sunny earlier, now you could freeze yourself to a light pole; first sign of snow all winter. Your hub reminds me of the winter a couple of years ago when in one month, I was rearended twice. We always have to watch out for the other guy. Last year while driving home late during a snow storm, I was in the fast lane trying to get over and traffic was at a standstill, a man in the lane next to me lowered his window and yelled at me, literally, to get out of the fast lane. The fast lane wasn't moving. The big SUVs and trucks sometimes go so fast and they are not prone to not sliding on ice. Some drivers think they are indestructible during winter storms, so thanks for your kind reminder that we all need to take care. Thumbs up.
Useful hub, got my experience in snow driving in the mountains of Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, CA in multiple feet of snow. I just hope people would not even consider using cruise control in snow or ice, if that's not common sense to them, perhaps they should be issued a license that is good for only warm weather use.
Excellent advice and well written. Voted up.
This is needed as a reminder to all of the crazy drivers that feel it's ok to drive like a maniac in the winter. Great hub! Thanks!
Excellent advice. Especially helpful is warning to drivers not to tailgate which they should not do in any type of weather. Thanks for sharing! Voted up and useful!
--courtlneygdtm
Thank you everyone, your response has been overwhelming and absolutely fantastic.
Thank you to HubPages for choosing my Hub and a big thumbs up to everyone that stopped by to add their input; much appreciated!
Congratulations on your Hub of the Day. You've included some valuable information here and I'm glad I found this Hub.
Thanks Aunt Mollie, we're going to need that advice really soon where I am. The snow is going to start falling and the temperatures will be dropping drastically very soon, according to the weather network.
Thanks for the tips.
what an excellent and timely hub! I knew that you were writing from either Saskatchewan or Alberta when I saw the picture on the cover of Hubpages.. yay! BC drivers REALLY need to know these 'driving-in-the-snow' tips!
Great article! Driving in snow is really very tough job.
My way of thinking is ‘unless you are driving a snow plow’ you don’t want to be the one blazing the path, been there and done that,
Thank you Suejanet, techygran and swayaminfotech for the comments. I definitely agree, you really don't want to be blazing the path on winter roads unless of course you are a snowplow.
I will probably never forget the one time I was the trail blazer in blizzard conditions and someone in a pickup thought they would go out and pass me, so they did and they were slipping and sliding all over the place. That driver decided to pull over and let me go first again, lucky me.:-(
Troym, driving in the snow is one thing I wish I did not have to do, thanks for the comment.
One issue often overlooked. it is one thing to carry chains, but many people have no idea how to fit them, and the firsttime they try is when ankle deep in snow. It is best to familiarise one self withthe fitting and removal of chains before getting anywhere near snow. there are many different types of chains, and they need different methods to fit and remove.
another issue is to know what wheels to fit them to. if you have rear wheel drive, fit them to the rear wheels, if you have front wheel drive fit them to the front, and if you have four wheel drive then fit them to the front.
in really slippery conditions when negotiating down steep slopes consider fitting chains to all wheel for better control.
a pair of water proof gloves save the hands from freezing when fitting chains too.
Excellent information Blacksheep, thank you for your input, much appreciated.
sportgames Level 1 Commenter 6 months ago
Nice tips, but sometimes doesn't matter how careful you are you can be involved in a snow accident.