Introduction
When it snows for the first time of the season, people in Pakistan often get very excited. And there’s a good reason for that: playing in the snow is beautiful and a lot of fun. As soon as you get back to your normal routine, though, you realize how annoying this cold weather can be. This is especially true when it snows, and you have to drive.
Your car doesn’t like being out in the cold all night, so it won’t start as quickly as it usually does. When you finally hit the road, you’ll have to deal with a new set of dangers.
To be clear, you shouldn’t drive in these conditions unless you have to. Even if you plan well, it’s still a significant risk. But if you have to drive in the snow, here are our best tips for staying safe while driving in snow.
1.Before you drive, warm up your car.
The very first thing you should do for driving in snow is to warm up yur car. Let your car run in the driveway for 30 to 60 seconds to get the most out of the engine and get the heat going faster for driving in snow.
2. Be patient and make advance plans.
Getting sick is the only thing that doesn’t take longer to do while driving in snow. So, if you need to go somewhere, you should give yourself enough time to finish the task. Before going anywhere, both you and your car will need to warm up a bit. Put on some warm clothes, get some de-icer, and start clearing the windshield of snow and ice. Get in the car when it’s done, and turn on the demisters. Do not start the car until you can see clearly out the front and back windows.
You need to give yourself more time for all of this fussing before the drive. You also need to be ready for unexpected turns. In the winter, some roads may not be passable or may be completely blocked. So, it will help a lot if you get ready ahead of time before getting in the car. Check online for information about roads that are closed and plan some alternate routes for your trip.
Even if everything else works fine, you should still drive more slowly than usual. So, let’s move on to the next point…
3. Regulate your pace
Even if the roads are clear and not too busy, you should drive slowly in the snow. Start doing this right away if you are driving in snow. When the engine first starts, accelerate slowly and shift into a high gear as soon as you can (unless you’re going downhill, in which case you shouldn’t have to accelerate at all; more on that later). You might even start driving in second gear if you can. This should give you more control and make it less likely that your car’s wheels will slip.
Slippery roads and drivers who do things they shouldn’t make for a dangerous environment. The more time you have to react to dangers, the less likely you are to get into an accident. So don’t be so hard on yourself. Drive a little slower than usual and be extra careful when you brake and speed up.
4. Keep a safe distance between your car and other cars.
Increasing the distance between you and the car in front of you can make it much less likely that you will get into an accident on a snowy day. Snowy roads can make it hard to see and more likely that you’ll lose control of your car, so it’s important to drive slowly and carefully. Along with slowing down, it’s a good idea to keep a safe distance of at least 7-8 seconds between you and the car in front of you. This will give you enough time and space to stop if you need to.
5. Leave enough room for longer stopping distances
Because of how wet and slippery the roads are, it will take a lot longer for your car to stop. In fact, people think that stopping distances could be up to 10 times longer when there is ice and snow on the road. Because of this, it’s important to keep a lot of space between you and the cars around you. On a slope, the car in front of you is more likely to slide backwards or the other way around for driving in snow. Give everyone plenty of space to cut down on the chance of accidents.
In general, stopping will be hard. Keep an eye out for stop signs, traffic lights, “give way” signs, and any other signs that tell you to stop. Plan to do it a long time ahead of time to make sure you have enough time to do it quickly and safely.
6. Keep an eye on other drivers
In addition to keeping an eye on your own car, it’s important to watch what the other cars around you are doing. Check your rearview mirror often, especially when you change your speed. To avoid a rear-end accident, you should always speed up and slow down slowly. If you see a car sliding close to yours, you might want to move away from it if you have enough space to do so safely.
7. Use the brakes when going around corners
Whether you’re driving on a long, winding road or just making a single turn, you need to do things a little bit differently than you would normally. Due to the lack of grip on the road, making turns may be especially dangerous. As soon as you see a turn in the road, start to brake so you can steer before the turn. It is best to use moderate, gentle pressure on the brake pedal and steering wheel.
Try to stay calm if you see the car start to slide as it comes around the corner. This happens a lot when it snows, so it’s not a big deal. Make sure your wheels are going in the right direction and don’t use the throttle until you have full control of the car again.
8. Make sure you have the right gear to drive in the snow
If you need to, put on skid chains or snow tyres. Both of these might help the car get a better grip on the ground and stop it from sliding. It’s important to remember that snow tyres are better at stopping skidding than skid chains. Other useful things include a bag of salt, a snow shovel, and a tow strap.
9. Put on the brakes
Even if you are not turning a corner when there is ice on the road, the car might still slide. If it’s black ice, it could also completely surprise you. Even though it might be a little scary, it’s important that you stay calm. Keep both hands on the wheel, don’t forget to breathe, and try to drive gently into the skid.
How should we understand that? If, for example, the back wheels suddenly moved to the left, you would carefully steer to the left to get them back in line. As soon as you feel like you have control of the car again, get into the right driving position on the road.
10. Heavy snow calls for more light
When it’s snowing, you usually need more light, whether you’re outside early in the morning or late at night. Turn on your dipped headlights much earlier than you normally would. This will help you see better. This makes it easier for you to see the road ahead (and those annoying icy patches) and also makes other drivers more aware of your presence. When you turn on your headlights, they light up both the front and back of your car.
The darker or more foggy it is, the more light you need. If the weather makes it so that you can’t see very far, like less than 100 metres, you should turn on your fog lights.
11. Be careful when approaching slopes
Slopes can be hard to get up and down in the snow. If you drive up a hill, you might slide backwards. If you drive downhill, the car might get away from you. The trick is to go with the flow.
So, if you’re going uphill, try to build up enough speed before you start climbing, and then let it carry you. (You still need to keep your speed in check, so don’t go crazy with this!) If you don’t do it this way, you might find yourself frantically stepping on the gas halfway up the slope, only to have your wheels spin. If you speed up too much on the hill, you’re more likely to have more momentum when you reach the top. Try not to run up the hill, but rather to keep a steady pace.
When driving in the snow, the weight of the car often gives off more than enough power to push you down. In this situation, you should go very slowly and use the brake pedal to keep a steady, safe pace as you go down. Remember that stopping at the bottom of the slope will take more time than usual.
12. Control Fishtailing Movement
If you are driving in snow, fishtailing is the common problem which you will face. Fishtailing is a kind of skidding that happens when the back wheels lose grip and slide instead of gripping the road. If you don’t handle it right, it can lead to oversteering and spinning out.
If you start to fishtail, take these steps to fix it:
Drive slowly in the direction of the skid, and as soon as you start to slide, start to correct it.
Take your foot off the brake to slow down.
13. Be aware of Black Ice
If you are driving in snow be aware of black ice. Black ice is a thin layer of ice that covers something and is often hard to see. It’s smooth and almost see-through, but not really black. Because of this, you can see the black tops of the roads through it. If you want to drive safely on black ice, follow these rules.
- Slow down and shift into a low gear to get better control of your car.
- Drive through places where there is more grip. There are different kinds of ice, sand, and snow in these traction zones.
- Keep a safe space between your car and other cars that are moving.
- Don’t hit the brakes; try not to stop if you can.
All things considered, you should never use cruise control when there is ice on the road.
14. Keep your Car’s body clean from Roadside salt for driving in snow
Salt might help get rid of ice and snow on the roads. But because it is corrosive, it could damage the undercarriage of your car. If there is a lot of rust damage, the parts that connect to the undercarriage could break and cause the car to crash.
To avoid this damage, clean your car’s body often to keep salt from building up.
Conclusion
Driving in snow is not easy as everyday driving, If you have to drive in snow, here are our top tips for staying safe. Warm up your car before you drive – it won’t start as quickly as usual. Check online for information about roads that are closed and plan an alternate route. Some roads may not be passable or may be completely blocked. Snowy roads can make it hard to see and more likely that you’ll lose control of your car.
It’s important to keep a safe distance of at least 7-8 seconds between you and the car in front of you. This will give you enough time and space to stop if you need to. Check your rearview mirror often, especially when you change your speed. If you see a car sliding close to yours, you might want to move away from it. Make sure you have the right gear to driving in snow – skid chains or snow tyres are good options.
If you’re driving in heavy snow, turn on your dipped headlights much earlier than normal – this will help you see better. If the weather makes it so that you can’t see very far, like less than 100 metres, you should turn on fog lights. Black ice is a thin layer of ice that covers something and is often hard to see. If you want to drive safely on black ice, follow these rules. Never use cruise control when there is ice on the road. Clean your car’s body often to keep salt from building up.
If you keep these tips in mind for driving in snow, you should be able to drive in the snow safely and easily.
Visit the BestDrivingCenter blog for more helpful tips on everything related to driving.
