Whether you’re travelling the roadways for the holidays, seasonal adventures like skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or simply driving out of snow country to get to sun country, smart drivers prepare for challenging road conditions brought on by freezing temperatures, snow, sleet and freezing rain.
Blizzards are predictable, but snow storms are sudden, fast-moving bouts of snow that can reduce visibility to zero in minutes, especially while driving on a highway where other vehicles are kicking up snow. If the forecast calls for a blizzard or the possibility of snow storms, it is best to avoid driving. Let the snow plows and road crews do their work before venturing out.
The main tip for driving in the snow is to replace your tires with snow tires and understand that acceleration, braking, and control are less responsive than when driving in dry conditions. Just because you have snow tires doesn’t mean you can drive the same way in dry conditions.
Snow tires, also called winter tires, have a tread design with more significant gaps than conventional tires, increasing traction on snow and ice. The rubber used in the construction is also softer than a summer or all-season tire. Tire siping – cutting thin slits across the surface of a tire – is a process to improve traction for driving in snowy, wet or icy conditions.
Using your all-season tires for everyday driving in less harsh conditions is acceptable. Otherwise, use snow tires in winter for potential travel on snow-covered roads, even if you have an all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive automobile winter tires can be essential.
Should you use studded snow tires? Studded tires have metal studs inserted into the tread to increase grip on ice, making it easier to start and stop on the least friendly road surfaces imaginable, according to Michelin, one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world.
Studded tires provide the best traction you can get, even when you’re encountering ice or packed snow, according to Les Schwab Tires, a private tire retailer with nearly 500 locations in the Western U.S. “They help break through packed snow and ice-covered roads to give you better traction.”
Studded winter tires are always permitted in some states – like New Hampshire and Colorado, restricted in others – like Connecticut and California, and not allowed in a few – like Texas and Michigan. Check your state here.
Consider snow chains. Whether or not you put on snow chains depends on where you live and the conditions. You will not see many cars with snow chains on the eastern side of the U.S., but when you get to the Rockies, having them on hand for driving in some areas is essential and even required.
Are you driving a car equipped with all-wheel-drive (AWD), four-wheel-drive (4WD), front-wheel-drive (FWD), or rear-wheel drive (RWD)? Each drive system has pros and cons, and you need to know its capabilities on the road. Here’s how to look at the different drives and their capabilities, according to US News & World Report.
FWD vehicles provide superior traction to RWD cars in rainy and snowy conditions but can lose grip more easily than AWD vehicles. AWD vehicles have better traction than front-wheel-drive vehicles since every wheel gets power. If one tire begins to slip, three others can work to regain traction.
Not all AWD systems work the same way. Some systems deliver power to all four wheels at all times, and other AWD systems are considered part-time since the rear wheels only get power when necessary.
AWD cars and SUVs are ideal for driving over snow-covered roads and in various off-road conditions, but not on slick ice.
4WD systems send equal amounts of power to all four wheels simultaneously and are generally much more robust than AWD systems.
Always fill your gas tank before a trip. A typical 15-minute drive could take two to three hours if there is traffic related to sleet and snowfall. A full gas tank reduces the likelihood of running out of gas in a storm.
Top off your antifreeze and your windshield wiper fluid. You’ll likely use a lot of wiper fluid in a snowstorm, so keep two extra gallons of it in your car.
Pack your car with emergency supplies. Warm clothing, including a pair of winter boots, a warm parka, a wool hat and waterproof mittens, hand and foot warmers, a sleeping bag, a small shovel to clear out the exhaust pipe, if needed, and a ready-made snow safety kit.
Even if you have all you need to be prepared and your car is in top shape, remember to drive at the speed you can safely control your vehicle. No matter what your experience level, everything is going to take longer. Your reactions will be slower, turning the wheel will take more time, braking distances will be longer, and you won’t be able to do lane changes as fast as you usually can. Drive farther behind people and take it slowly.
Written by: Harding Bush
BIO:
Harding Bush is a Global Rescue Security Operations senior manager and a former Navy SEAL with extensive mountain and cold weather operations expertise.
