Winter Driving - 7 Tips To Stay Confident on Icy Roads

Where I live, on the west coast of Finland, winter just arrived with the first real batch of snow. This means slow traffic as many vehicles haven't been switched to snow tires this early in the season.

I was doing a 60 mile trip yesterday, mostly on smaller rural roads where the snow is not spoiled by salt and heavy traffic, and I though to myself:

It's not really dangerous or difficult to drive on slippery roads as long as you know what to do and when, you just have to adopt a different style of driving and you'll be as safe as on dry summer roads. The danger is if you apply a summer driving style to winter roads.

Rule #1: Slow Down

Don't expect to reach the same speeds on a winter road as you do in the summer. Always plan for lower speeds and longer travel times.

Rule #2: Be Really Soft on The Pedals

Keeping your car on the road requires that the wheels have grip, that they are rolling at speed you are travelling.

On slippery roads if you press the gas pedal hard to accelerate, or if you try to brake aggressively your wheels will lock and they lose grip.

This turns your car into an object sliding in stead of rolling on the ice, you will have no control over it and it will go straight forward, or if the road is slanted it will slide off the road.

Accelerate and brake like you had an egg under the pedal, really softly, and you'll have a lot more grip to play with.

Rule #3: Keep Your Distance and Slow Down in Time

One of the most common accidents at winter is to drive into the car in front of you when it's braking and you notice too late.

The solution is to always maintain a good distance to the car in front, 100-600 feet depending on your speed and read conditions. Keep the distance big enough that you will be able to stop in case the car in front brakes.

Always slow down when you come to a crossing, even if you don't see any other cars near. This way if there's a surprise you will still be able to stop.

Rule #4: Brake Safely

If you lose control when braking it's usually because you locked the wheels of your car by braking too much. If you find yourself sliding for a ditch or slowly starting a spin just release the brakes for a second or two to regain control and then continue braking..

Sometimes the only way to avoid a accident is to not brake at all and instead steer clear of the obstacle. This method do require some practise though as the instinct is to push the brake pedal as hard as you can.

If your car is equipped with automatic braking system (ABS) it's often better to just brake and let the car maintain control. There might be times though, on really slippery wet snow, when the ABS system won't be able to fully control the car. In that case just release the brakes yourself to regain control. Read more about the ABS system in your cars users guide.

Rule #5: Accelerate Safely

Basically your car can either steer or accelerate. On dry roads there is enough grip to both steer and accelerate at the same time, but not on snow and ice.

Never accelerate when you drive through a bend, you need your grip to handle the turning. If you have to accelerate do it slowly and if you lose grip pull back a little on the accelerator until you regain control of your car.

Remember that a rear wheel car with the wheels spinning will tend to go into a dangerous spin while a front wheel drive car will go straight ahead with the wheels spinning.

In case you're car is equipped with a traction control system (TCS) it will help you maintain control during acceleration. You will find more information in your cars manual.

Rule #6: Use Good Snow Tires

If your snow season is longer than a month you would do well getting snow tires. They have a much more stable handling on winter roads and reduces the braking distance significantly.

Check your local laws and regulations to see if snow tires are mandatory and if you are allowed to use tires with studs.

Rule #7: Practice and Learn

If you have a safe place to practice ice driving, do it! Nothing can prepare your for an emergency like trying to brake and avoid an obstacle on a slippery surface.