Automotive care

Driving in the snow is something that intimidates many drivers. Unless you live in a climate that exposes you to this type of weather on a steady basis, it is something you are rarely faced with. Most new drivers will respond to a skid in a manner that is called “target fixation”. They literally fixate on their impending doom instead of taking action to prevent the accident. Here are some tips that will help you avoid becoming a victim of the wintertime accident.

Regardless of where you live, you should always be prepared to drive in snow. If you live in a climate where you’re constantly exposed to snow, it is highly recommended that you take a class. Most courses are reasonably priced and will cost you no more than $300. These courses are usually little more than a day and are time well spent.

Upon being faced with wintertime weather, the first thing you need to do is make sure your tires are properly prepared. This can be accomplished with other snow tires or chains (usually used for extreme conditions).

You’re going to want to make sure you drive under control, this means slow down. Slick roads make everything happen quicker. If you’re driving at an elevated speed you’re going to have less time to react. This is the number one driving error most people make during winter and in snowy or icy conditions. Driving too fast, almost assures that you will end up off the road.

When driving in the snow, you’re going to want to allow a little more distance between you and the car in front of you. Normally, you will want two car lengths, in snowy conditions that should be doubled to four. This will give you plenty of time to see everything in front of you and be able to react accordingly.

Being informed of where the bulk of the weight in your automobile is, is key to successful driving in the winter. In most pickup trucks, all of the weight is towards the front of the automobile. That being the case, the rear end has little weight and will be the area of the auto that is out of control. The same can be said for a rear wheel drive car. The power to weight ratio is lopsided in these types of automobiles are prone to losing their grip on the road and sliding out. Remember, the weight is where your traction is gong to be so the lighter end of the automobile will be the area that will tend to go out of control.

Being able to control your vehicle while driving in the snow is an art form. The only thing that will allow you to perfect this is exposure and practice. Over time, you would develop a feel, which will enable you to do this comfortably. In the meantime, go slow and stay in control. Remember, even when you are accomplished driver in the snow, there will be plenty of people out there that are inexperienced and dangerous. Regardless of your abilities, you should only be driving in the snow when absolutely necessary.

Tags: Driving, Snow

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