Tips for Driving Safe This Winter

Driving in any season can be very hazardous to your health if it is not taken seriously, by you or the people around you. A car is a huge piece of metal being hurled down the street towards an unsuspecting public and if the driver does not know what they are doing, it can be dangerous.  This is not even talking about cars with broken parts like the steering rack or steering box making control of the vehicles direction impossible. No, no we are talking about drivers who don’t know how to control a vehicle properly. Many people know the basic principles of controlling a vehicle on a day to day basis, but in winter this can change drastically in a matter of min.

The first major obstacle to tackle in winter driving is the temperature, with cold temperatures comes cold tires. While too many this may not seem like a big deal but remember that rubber becomes “more sticky” as it heats up. In other words with cold temperatures comes less grip. This means handling is decreased and reaction time for the vehicle is longer. What this means to the driver is that a normal situation can become dangerous.

The second major factor is weather and ignorance of what it can do. Many people think that the brake system on their car or truck is there and it will slow them down no matter what.  This is simply not true pushing the pedal harder will not stop you faster in fact in many cases of extreme weather it will do the opposite. When the brakes are engaged the tire creates more resistance to the contact patch and sliding will occur. When the vehicle begins to slide the brakes must be released and reapplied to try and create grip.

There is a scary and dangerous thought amongst drivers of vehicles with traction control, that the system will save them in the snow. People go as far as driving at full speed on icy roads just because they have TCS in their car. Traction control is designed to find traction where there is some but it cannot control the car if there is not traction.

Driving in the snow and ice is all about common sense. Slow it down and remember that safety is the responsibility of the drive. Not only your safety but the safety of everyone around you as well, your vehicle in the end is only as good as the person behind the wheel.