How to Drive in the Snow: Expert Safety Tips
Consider this your anti-crash course in winter driving, whether you’re heading to a new-to-you region or just want a knowledge tuneup.
Illustrations by Lorenzo Gritti
’Tis the season for icy roads, unexpected snowstorms, and — for many of us — intimidating driving conditions. We reached out to road-safety experts for tips on vehicle prep, mastering snowy hills, and navigating white-out conditions. Here’s, ahem, an anti-crash course to help give you peace of mind for your next wintertime road trip.
Skid School
“A skid is caused by too much of something — too much braking, too much acceleration, too much steering,” says Kurt Spitzner, operations manager of Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
To help prevent a skid, do these:
• Perform a grip test to see if your speed matches road conditions. On a straight, empty stretch, squeeze the brakes. Did the ABS (antilock brake system) activate? If so, you’ll notice that the brake pedal vibrates. Did the wheels chatter? If either of these occurred, you’re going too fast — and a skid will likely happen if you need to make an abrupt stop.
• Maintain a safe following distance. It takes longer to come to a stop on icy roads, so don’t let ABS and all-wheel drive give you a false sense of security. Experts recommend a distance of three to four seconds between you and the car ahead, or eight to ten in wintry conditions. When the car ahead of you passes a road sign, start counting; if you reach the sign before you hit eight, you’re too close.
If you do skid, identify the type of skid and take the right course of action.
An understeer skid
What it means: You’ve turned the wheel and the car hasn’t responded. Most often, the driver hasn’t slowed enough into a corner, and without sufficient weight transfer to the front tires, the tires can’t grip the road adequately.
What to do: Forget the old rule about “steering into a skid” (from a time when most cars were rear-wheel drive). Instead, calmly take your foot off the gas and turn your head in the direction you want the car to go. “Your hands on the wheel will follow your head,” Spitzner says.
An oversteer skid
What it means: The rear wheels have lost their traction, causing the back end of the car to swing around. Usually this happens when you take a curve too fast, along with too much last-second deceleration, which adds weight on the front tires.
What to do: Don’t slam on the brakes, which will continue the forward weight transfer. Look and steer gently in the direction you want the car to go. Don’t jerk the steering wheel; that can cause the car to fishtail. Touch the gas slightly to shift weight back toward the rear wheels.
Navigate White-Out Conditions
With tips from AAA’s Northeast manager, Robert Sinclair.
1. Activate the hazard lights and wait it out. Whiteout conditions usually pass in a matter of minutes.
2. Find a safe place to pull over, as far onto the shoulder and away from traffic as you can get. (Beware of “phantom shoulder,” when a snowbank makes sloped ground look even.)
3. Be sure your headlights are on. If you must keep driving, don’t use high beams, which reflect more light from the ice particles in the air and make it harder to see.
4. Turn the front and rear defrosters on full blast.
5. Slow down and keep an eye on your speedometer. When you can’t see your surroundings, it’s harder to judge speed. Scan your eyes side to side, and if the road has reflectors, use them to keep your bearings. “I open my window a bit so that I can listen for crashes or horns ahead,” says Sinclair.
Master Snowy Hills
Uphill
“The only time in winter driving when momentum is your friend is when you’re trying to get up a hill,” Spitzner says. Look ahead to see if there are other cars struggling, and if not, start building speed before you reach the base of the hill. If for any reason it looks like you won’t make it up, find an alternate route.
Downhill
Use a lower gear, rather than the brakes, to slow down. Shift from drive into a lower gear (often marked 3 or 2 in automatic transmissions), allowing the engine to manage your speed. Apply the brakes gently to maintain a slow pace — pressing them too much can cause them to overheat and fail, or cause a skid.
You’re Stuck. Now What?
“Don’t panic,” says Sinclair, “or you’ll make mistakes and use up your own energy and the car’s gas.” Here’s a better plan.
Stay buckled in the car as much as possible. If you’re renting, alert the rental agency. If you have a roadside assistance plan, call it to send help. In an emergency, call 911 or its equivalent.
Set out flares or warning triangles (a.k.a. emergency markers). According to AAA, the first flare should be placed ten feet behind the vehicle, directly behind the headlight closest to the road. Position the second and third flares 100 and 300 feet behind the car.
Periodically check that the tailpipe is clear of snow to prevent a buildup of deadly carbon monoxide inside the vehicle.
Cycle the car on long enough to get warm, and then off, to conserve fuel. Repeat until help arrives.
Try the rocking technique: In a low gear, press the gas gently until the car resists, then step off the pedal and let the car rock backward until it stops. Repeat, moving ahead a bit more each time, being careful not to spin the tires. It’s not budging? Try placing the car’s floor mats under the tires.
Detect Black Ice
Watch your car’s outdoor thermometer — a drop to near or below freezing means water on the road has refrozen but maintains a sheen that can be hard to see. Be especially aware just after sundown, at the base of hills, on overpasses, in shadowy areas, and in mild winter, when ice lurks below meltwater. Also, listen closely. “When roads are wet, you hear a sizzle — water droplets hitting the side of your car,” says Spitzner.“With black ice, the road looks wet, but there ain’t no sizzle.”
Checklist: Prep Your Vehicle
If you’re renting, these tips are doubly important, says Sinclair.
❑ Does the car have winter tires?
❑ Are the tires at the proper air pressure?
❑ Is the battery in good condition?
❑ Do the headlights, taillights, defroster, and windshield wipers work (and is the washer fluid topped off)?
❑ Is there an ABS? If so, you can hit the brakes hard and the ABS will pump them rapidly to control steering. If there’s no ABS, pump the brakes to avoid skidding during a sudden stop.
❑ Is there an emergency kit? It should include a small snow shovel, ice scraper, flashlight, window washing fluid, gloves, blankets, booster cables, flares or emergency markers, sand or kitty litter for traction if you’re stuck, and a phone charger.
Stay Informed
Monitor weather and road conditions: Call 511, or download the U.S. state’s road report app (if abroad, the country’s). Ask local law enforcement about special regulations. For instance, snow chains can be required in some mountain regions, notably California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and Utah, as well as Austria, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.
About the author: Chris Wright is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. He has written for Outside, Gear Patrol, WIRED, and more.
