Some Tips for You to Drive on Snow Safety
Driving on snow requires a series of knowledge that every driver should know. We analyze the most important for extreme situations
Driving a car requires a distinctive personal performance to ensure safety during a trip, be it short or long. Personal acting describes the forms of behavior and activities executed during the time a car trip made.
It will depend on that personal action that the risks tend to be minimized, assuming responsibility for the safe driving that the driver must observe.
The safe driving is an issue of automatic liability; It requires knowledge, application, and compliance with safety regulations and measures. It must prevail when environmental conditions are adverse, such as when it is appropriate to drive on snow.
You are carrying out periodic checks of the car, compliance with rules and measures, as well as adequate equipment. It is important to take into account the following tips for driving on snow, which seek to help you learn more about the maneuvers or preparations to ensure your safety, of those who accompany him, other drivers, and pedestrians.
All the actions that can carry out to minimize the risks at the time of driving on snow will never represent a redundancy in their correct personal performance in this circumstance, so it never hurts to take into account the tips to drive on snow that is They offer below.
Tips for driving on snow
Safe driving refers to the right attitude and way of taking responsibility for driving the car. Every driver must know and respect the rules and traffic signs. Public roads are not exclusive to a driver, so attention should pay to the actions of other drivers and pedestrians in use of the roads.
When driving on snow, special attention should be taken, such as the following:
- Environmental conditions: create the habit of consulting weather conditions and be informed of changes in the weather, as they can influence the driving decision. Information regarding weather conditions can find on the official AEMET website.
- Systems and levels of liquids: before going on a trip, the correct functioning of brushes, front, rear, emergency and brake lights, tire pressure level, including the spare part, increasingly in disuse must verify. Also, observe the level of liquids in the vehicle, such as water, antifreeze, brakes and engine oil, and fill it if necessary.
- Tires: in this regard, chains can be incorporated as non-slip mechanisms. Also, and increasingly recommended, you can use Crossclimate / all-season tires, which have shown high performance in any environmental condition, regardless of the season, approved for driving on snow.
- Use of driving modes: you should be familiar with the systems and driving modes incorporated in most modern cars, decreasing the level of risk when driving on snow. Thus, there are cars with integral traction, improving the adaptability to the environment, although it does not guarantee safe braking. They also have ECO / SPORT / SNOW driving modes that slightly vary the specific configurations of the different systems for these types of surfaces.
- Use of long gears: in case of using a car with manual transmission, long gears should use to avoid the excessive transfer of force to the driving wheels, and they may lose traction. A long gear reduces the throttle response to the wheels, which in this case, is convenient.
- Increase the safety distance and anticipate braking: the less we brake on a sliding surface, the less traction we will lose. So it is essential to get ahead of the braking and always use the engine brake, stepping on the brake pedal as little as possible, and, if necessary, avoid doing it steadily and sharply.
- Getting ahead of the path is essential since the steering wheels will turn less at a faster speed. Reducing the rate and anticipating the turns will avoid more than a scare, always avoiding, as in the previous point, the abruptness.
- Other measures: When driving on snow, it is important to maintain a safe distance about the front car, avoid sudden maneuvering of the steering wheel, keep long gears, and lengthen the path, even lowering the tire pressure to gain contact surface.
What to do if you get caught in the snow?
- PAS Method (Protect, Warn and Help): The occupants, who must remain in the car, with it on and the heating running, opening windows every half hour for a few seconds to allow oxygenation inside the car. Notify the transit authority or emergency services about the exact situation and location where you are, which shows the need for a mobile phone and car charger. Help: In case of injuries, protect them from other potential injuries.
- Full fuel tank, food, and blankets: You must have the foresight to keep the fuel to the maximum and always wear warm clothes, some food, and a flashlight.
- Abundant water, nuts, energy bars: You must have the provision of drinking water to avoid situations of dehydration and have food that provides energy.