Driving in the Snow.

I remember it clearly.  I was 16 years old, had had my driver’s license for approximately two months and we got our first snow.  I needed to get to the library, but my parents didn’t want me driving in the snow yet, so they sent me with my 21 year old brother.  As we drove he taught me some of the keys to driving in the snow – and then we slipped into the guardrail.  He told me it was coming – there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

Since then I have become rather adept at driving in the snow, if I might say so myself.  With my area getting over two feet of snow this past weekend, I thought I would write a few tips on how to safely get from point A to point B in snowy, icy conditions.

1. Equip yourself with the right tools. Are your tires bald? Don’t drive in the snow. Plain and simple. You need traction to grip the road at any time, but in the snow it is super important.  Drive a real wheel drive vehicle?  Put something in the back to weigh it down.  It will make your life much easier.
2. Brake before the bend, not during.  If you are coming up on a bend in the road, brake before you get to the bend, not while you are going around it. You are much more likely to slip that way.
3. Brake sooner.  I’m the kind of person who brakes pretty late at a red light or stop sign. But when the roads are snowy, I start braking 3 times sooner.  That way, if I slip I have time to recover before slipping out into an intersection.
4. Follow further.  If you are behind someone, keep your distance.  Yes, they may be driving at 15 miles an hour under the speed limit when there is just a dusting, but if they happen to hit a patch of ice and you are too close behind, you will hit them. You should always maintain a safe distance, but it is imperative in wintery driving conditions.
5. Sometimes an accident is unstoppable. When my brother was driving me to the library that snowy day he knew he was going to hit the guardrail. However, he would have made it much worse if he had slammed on his brakes and turned the wheel.  It is better to knock out a light from hitting a guardrail than lose your life because you panic.

I hope this has helped you in some way!  Stay safe out there, and, when you can – just stay home!

Related posts:

1. Road Rage
2. The All-Inclusive Guide to Not Driving Like an Idiot
3. A half-what?!: Rule number five