Stay in
Control
eight tips for handling
your vehicle in slippery
winter conditions
1 | Always hold the steering wheel
with both hands. “use 9-and-
3 positioning, so you can easily
straighten out without oversteering,”
AmA’s ron wilson says.
2 | don’t use cruise control on slippery
roads. your tires can lose traction
trying to maintain a set speed.
3 | Apply your brakes well before
entering a turn, so the vehicle slows
down in a straight line. leave plenty
of extra room for braking.
4 | don’t pump the brakes—especially
if your car has an anti-lock braking
system (ABs). “if you pump, you’re
saying to the system, ‘i want to stop,
i don’t want to stop, i want to stop,
and so on,” wilson notes. “with ABs,
as soon as you apply the brakes full-
on, it brings the vehicle to a stop.”
5 | if your car was built before 2011,
it may not have ABs. in which case,
push your brake pedal until it’s at the
threshold of locking. then ease up
from there.
6 | if you’re driving around a curve
and your car starts to slide, keep
a light grip on the wheel and steer
gently in direction you want the
vehicle to go. Just don’t turn the
wheel too much: when the tires catch
their grip again, you don’t want to
overcorrect.
7 | don’t touch the brakes if your
car is skidding out. if possible, shift
into neutral and let the car slow on
its own.
8 | look ahead down the road where
you want to go and that’s where
you’ll steer to. when the tires have
found their grip again, resume an
appropriate speed.
42
WINTER 2017
AMA INsIdER
there are many ways
that winter roads can
be hazardous in Alberta
Fluffy but dangerous
When road markings are obscured,
slow down and leave lots of stopping
distance. Always clear snow from your
vehicle, including the roof. “You have
to be able to see and be seen by others,”
Wilson says. “Clean off your lights,
mirrors and windows. If you leave
a couple centimetres of snow on your
hood, it’ll blow onto your windshield
and snow on your roof or trunk will
blow onto the car behind you.”
Frozen out
Ice is often plentiful at intersections,
where vehicles brake and accelerate. It’s
also likely to form on bridges because
the cool air beneath the span freezes the
water on its upper surface. Slow down
and leave extra room for stopping.
Hidden hazard
Black ice is just like ice but not so
apparent—it’s “black” because the ice
is clear and you can see the asphalt
below. Watch for a sheen on the road
surface and treat it as you would ice.
Slippery when wet
Freezing rain can make conditions so
dicey that it’s sometimes safest to pull
off the highway and wait. If you must
drive, be sure you have good winter
tires and wiper blades, plus plenty of
wiper fluid.
Stay back
If you find yourself behind a snowplow,
be grateful the road is being cleared
and be patient. Don’t try to overtake it!
“Every winter, there are crashes involv-
ing people trying to pass the plow,”
Wilson says.
Move over
If you see emergency vehicles, including
tow trucks, slow down to 60 kilometres
per hour or the posted speed, which-
ever is lower. If possible, give them extra
space by moving into the adjacent lane.
Fog alert
As with falling snow or freezing rain,
if you run into fog, use your head-
lights’ low beams. “If you use high
beams, it’s going to magnify the snow
and fog and you’re not going to see
very well,” Wilson says. “Or if you have
fog lights, use them.”
Watch for wildlife
Animals will often wander near winter
roadways, drawn by the salt and other
detritus thrown up by cars. Keep an
eye out for signs warning of wildlife.
wildlife: flpA/AlAmy
Caution
Ahead