How to drive when is snowing

Want more driving tips for adverse weather? Check out our articles on Driving in the Rain and Driving in the Fog. Tips for Driving in the Snow Poor driving conditions, like snowy weather, make it a challenge to be out on the road. Increase Following Distance In addition to slowing down, you should allow for more distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you.

Drive with Plenty of Gas During the winter, you should always drive with at least half a tank of gas. Share this article:. It's an outline of a car with squiggly lines behind it. If you're accelerating in a straight line and this light is blinking, this is the stability-control system warning you that the wheels that drive the car are slipping.

Heed it. And ease up on the accelerator so the tires regain their grip. If you're turning and see a blinking amber light, this is also the stability-control system alerting you that the car is beginning to slide from your intended path. Again, ease back on the accelerator until you are no longer applying any throttle; this allows the car to regain grip.

And do not accelerate aggressively when turning tight corners in town on snowy or slushy streets. Always ease into the accelerator so that nothing untoward happens abruptly. If you feel your car beginning to skid, always, always , look where you want to go— not where the car is heading at that precise moment. Let your peripheral vision take care of whatever you're trying to avoid.

Racing drivers know that you almost always end up where you are looking; that's one of the reasons they're so good at recovering from skids. Sooner or later you will hit a slick spot and get a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach as your car starts to slide away from the direction in which you want to be heading. Skids, even big ones, can be managed, and you can bring the car back under full control in short order. First, don't panic— and don't stab the brakes!

Instead, do the following:. For a front-wheel skid—where the front tires lose grip and the car turns in a wider arc than you expect—ease off the gas. In a beat or two, the front tires should regain traction. Then aim where you want to go as your traction returns.

For a rear-wheel skid—where the rear tires lose traction and you feel yourself beginning to spin out—quickly turn the steering wheel in the same direction that the rear is sliding. If, say, the rear is swinging to the left, turn the wheel to the left.

Ease off the accelerator and stay off the brakes. As the rear wheels regain traction, steer back in the original direction. No matter which type of skid you're experiencing, make sure you keep your wheels pointed in the direction you want to be going.

And you can gently remember point number one use your brakes if you think you can recover without hitting anything. If an impact is imminent, don't be afraid to stand on the brake pedal as described in point number six. Leave a second gap between you and the car in front. Any harsh braking or steering is bad in these conditions. Look well ahead and when cornering, reduce speed early by lifting off the accelerator gently, before using the brakes to reduce speed, then take your foot off the brakes before turning and feather the steering and accelerator through the turn.

Accelerating hard out of the corner could spin the wheels and cause a skid. Black ice most often builds up on bridges and underpasses, where there is cold, wet air passing above and below the surface. Whereas the advice used to be not to stand on the brakes when you hit ice, as older cars will lock the wheels, most modern cars have sophisticated computer-controlled anti-lock brakes and stability systems. So if you lose traction in a new-ish car, brake with full force and the electronics will do the rest.

Another technique known as cadence braking involves pumping the brake pedal, or you could use a combination of these techniques. The important thing is to allow the braked wheels to rotate. If you suffer from range anxiety, there are an increasing number of electric cars available with more than miles of range. There are three options for your wheels when driving in snow: winter or snow tyres; snow chains or snow socks. Winter tyres: made from a different rubber composite from conventional tyres that does not harden in cold temperatures, these improve traction below 7C.

Different tread patterns reduce stopping distances. Buy at BlackCircles. Snow chains: fitted to the driven wheels of the car, chains increase grip by biting through the snow and ice. They are usually sold in pairs and must match a particular tyre size. Driving with chains will reduce fuel efficiency and limit the speed to mph.

Buy at Halfords. For best visibility in snow, dip your headlights. Look out for warning signs and ice markers with blue flashing lights that tell you there could be ice ahead. While you're driving Drive slower than you would normally so you can keep control. Drive gently and smoothly.

That includes accelerating, braking and steering. Sudden changes will make you more likely to skid. Leave plenty of space between your car and the vehicle in front, at least 4 seconds. Brake gently and early, so you have plenty of time to stop. Look out for bridges and shaded patches of road.