WINTER DRIVER SAFETY

Large parts of the country have already had their first taste of biting winds, blowing snow, and slippery roadways. For those of you who haven't yet been visited by the quintessential Canadian winter, rest assured that its effects will soon be coming to streets, roads, and highways near you.

It is a good time, then, for a few refreshers on how to get through the winter safely, with ourselves and our vehicles intact.

The dangers of winter driving can largely be attributed to three factors: less traction, reduced visibility, and general uncertainty.

Whether alone or when combined, these driving dangers require that a safe motorist do everything more slowly and deliberately than usual. This includes keeping your speed down, not slamming on the brakes, and avoiding sharp turns and sudden steering.

Skids

There are three types of skids: front-wheel, rear-wheel, and all-wheel.
While there are specific remedies for each type, the most important thing to remember is to keep calm and avoid any "panic" reactions.

Front-wheel skids occur when a driver brakes too hard, accelerates too quickly, or tries to enter a curve while going too fast.

The first thing to do when your wheels begin to skid is to remove the cause of the skid. If the loss of traction is caused by braking, then release the brake. Similarly, if the skid is caused by rapid acceleration, take your foot of the gas. Shifting the vehicle to neutral will also help the tires to regain their grip on the road.

If the wheels are turned, don't attempt to steer until traction is regained. When turned sideways, the wheels themselves with actually help slow the car by "plowing" the road surface.

Once you feel that the front wheels have begun to regain traction, put the vehicle back into gear, and slowly steering in the desired direction while gently accelerating.

Rear-wheel skids ("fishtailing") are pretty similar to the front-wheel variety. They too are caused by sudden acceleration (on rear-wheel drive vehicles), sudden braking, or sharp curves.

The tactics used to safely get out of a rear-wheel skid are a bit different, however. While you should take your foot off the brake and the gas, and put the transmission in neutral, unlike front-wheel skids, you should gently steer the vehicle in the direction of the skid. At first the vehicle may skid in the opposite direction, so you may have compensate by slowly adjust your steering. Eventually, the vehicle will stabilize and you'll be able to put it in gear and be on your way.

All-wheels skids generally happen on slippery surfaces when the vehicle is going far too fast for the conditions. Similar techniques should be once again be used.

1) Don't brake
2) Don't accelerate
3) Shift into neutral
4) Slowly steer to where you want to go
5) Feel for the tires to regain traction
6) Re-engage the transmission and slowly accelerate

Braking

It's obviously better to avoid skidding altogether, and one way you can do this is by getting a feel for how your vehicle's brakes respond to emergency situations and/or poor conditions.

If your vehicle has an Anti-lock Brake System, you should firmly apply the brakes without "pumping" or releasing them until you've stopped. If the brakes momentarily lock, the ABS will automatically compensate and release them; you may feel the brake push back against your foot slightly when this happens.

If you vehicle is not equipped with ABS, you should employ "threshold braking" when you need to make a quick stop. As the name implies, you should firmly apply the brakes until they reach their locking "threshold." Of course, this is difficult to gauge and drivers to tend to react aggressively in emergency situations, so if the brakes do lock, temporarily release them and reapply when traction is regained.

Regardless of whether you are using conventional brakes or ABS, your right heel should always be resting on the floor so that you can use your toes to brake with. This allows for more controlled braking, reducing the likelihood that your brakes with lock up.

Keep in mind that you will need three times the stopping distance when driving on snow as opposed to dry pavement, not to mention six times the stopping distance when driving on an icy road.

Stranded and Stuck

Getting "unstuck" is, no doubt, an awkward word, describing an equally awkward situation. Even with today's lighter, front-wheel drive vehicles, drivers can still find themselves caught up in a snow bank or drift.

First, remember to beware of over-exertion and exposure. We've all heard of people who have suffered heart attacks by over-doing it in the winter.

If you do attempt to get your vehicle unstuck, try to clear away as much snow as possible from the tires, but also remember to check that the exhaust pipe isn't blocked with snow.

Once again gaining traction and momentum is the key. Very slowly accelerate to test your level of grip. Don't spin your wheels; the friction will melt the snow, which will then refreeze into glare ice.

If you feel some traction, you may try to "rock" the vehicle by gently changing between forward and reverse, helping to build on that momentum.

While most Canadians are very helpful, if for any reason you feel uncomfortable accepting anyone's help, keep the doors locked, roll down the window slightly, and politely decline the offer, saying that you've already called for help and they're only minutes away.