We are approaching the holiday season and there are always numerous activities we want to get to. There’s holiday shopping, ice-skating or just driving family and friends over to see a play or a movie. On your way to these different locations, the last thing you want to encounter is car problems! The weather can cause huge problems; this not only affects your automobile but it will also hinder you from enjoying the holidays. Therefore, you need to take several measures to prevent a snow emergency.
First thing you need to know: if the weather man/woman says it’s going to be bad, believe them and don’t use cruise control. Having cruise control off during inclement weather will keep you in control. Also, if your car is stuck on soft ground, you can use your floor mats to gain traction. Put the mats in front of the wheels and try moving again, slowly.
Secondly, when driving in the snow do not accelerate hard because this will cause your wheels to spin out and not be able to grip the road. This is what we usually call “losing traction.” It’s best that you put your car into a low gear. You’ll notice that there’s 1 and 2 on your shifter that people often never use. These gears prevent the car from going at high speeds and it drives more power to the wheels.
Next thing you need to do is remember to look out for black ice, especially at night and very early in the morning. Ice prevents your tires from maintaining a good grip on the road and not having good traction can lead to problems with steering and braking—even a 4WD vehicle doesn’t fare much better on ice. Chains are the best way to gain traction on ice, though stopping distance is still several times greater than on dry pavement with ordinary tires. One thing to note about black ice is that it’s not really black! Black ice is a transparent layer of ice that looks black, because it’s so thin that you can see the road surface below it. Any ice is dangerous to drive on, but black ice is especially bad because it fools you into thinking the road is only wet, not icy. Then, you do a 35 around a corner and…BAM! Trust me. I’ve taken one too many falls on it.
Please remember to take these safety measures to prevent any emergencies on the road. Use your best judgment and if you really have to travel in unfavorable weather conditions, drive SAFELY. You want your holidays to be stress-free! If you have any additional tips, please leave us a comment and share with others.