Winter Driving

Winter Driving: Winter driving survival tips

January 11, 2010

Being prepared for all scenarios when you’re on the road is also important for driving safety. I find that far too many people feel they’re self-contained, and don’t think of themselves as small pieces in the bigger pattern. In traffic, I’m a chess player, thinking several moves ahead. Where will I be when that car on the on-ramp is ready to merge? Is the pedestrian signal flashing up ahead, indicating that the traffic light is about to change? Is that driver approaching the stop sign too fast and might slide out in front of me? If you’re not in the habit of looking as far ahead as you can – right to the horizon – then teach yourself to do it. Anticipate problems, and you’ll be better able to react to them.

That includes black ice, a common excuse for crashes in winter. It’s called that because you can see the colour of the asphalt through the thin frozen layer on top; the ice itself is often impossible to see.

“You can predict where it might be,” Marshall said. “It will be in areas where the sun doesn’t melt it, like a tree-laden road, or under bridges or tunnels. Also, when it’s mild and melts during the day, it starts to freeze in late afternoon.”

Skidding on ice is caused by changes in speed and direction. Marshall’s advice is to slow down well before you get to a suspect area, and then maintain your speed on it. While most of us know that means not to hit the brakes, it also means not to let off on the throttle. “I haven’t slid in decades, because I’m anticipating that ice is there,” Marshall said. “If I have to drop my speed, I drop it before I get there.”

One of the best things you can do is invest in a driving course that teaches skid control and collision avoidance. It always amazes me that people will pay tens of thousands of dollars for a vehicle, and then balk at spending a few hundred more to learn to keep it in one piece.

Of course, all of the other rules apply equally to winter driving as they do the other three seasons: keep both hands on the wheel, at nine and three; never move the vehicle unless you’re looking in that direction (quick shoulder checks excepted); always signal your intentions; and concentrate on driving, which means no eating, drinking, or other distractions behind the wheel. Marshall and I disagree on cell phone use, as he’s okay with hands-free calls; I say no telephone calls, hand-held or hands-free, are safe when the vehicle is moving.

Before you drive, clean all snow and ice from your windows, lights, roof and hood, and use your defroster to keep windows fog-free. Wear appropriate footwear, and if your boots are too bulky to safely operate the pedals, keep spare shoes in your car and switch when you’re driving. Finally, allow yourself lots of extra time when travelling.

The experts are right: it isn’t the weather that’s to blame, but our reactions to it. I’ve made lots of boneheaded moves in my driving career, and it’s only through sheer luck that I didn’t come to tragedy. I didn’t shrug them off or blame the weather, though. I learned from the experience, realized what I did wrong, and made sure I didn’t do it again. That’s a key in making it safely through to spring.

Pages: 1 2