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How to Drive in Snow & Ice
PEARL – As a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain limit visibility and make roads slick, MEMA officials ask residents to be extremely careful if they must travel.
“The best advice is to not drive at all if you can avoid it,” said MEMA Director Mike Womack. “If you must drive, have a winter-car kit ready and know the traffic and highway conditions for where you are traveling. Allow yourself extra time to get to where you need to go.”
A winter-car kit includes: a shovel, windshield scraper, battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, water, snack food, blankets, tow chain or rope, booster cables, road maps, emergency flares and cellular telephone or two-way radio.
To drive safely in winter storm conditions:
Drive slower than usual and leave plenty of room between other cars to stop.
Brake gently to avoid skidding. If wheels lock up, ease off the brakes.
Turn your lights on and keep your windshield clean.
Do not use cruise control.
If your rear wheels skid on the road:
Take your foot off the accelerator.
As the wheel skids sideways, steer in the direction you want to go. If rear wheels slide left, steer left. If they slide right, steer right.
If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
If you have standard brakes pump them gently.
If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes.
If your front wheels skid:
Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don’t try to steer immediately.
As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in “drive” or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.
Sources: Weather.com Driving Safety Tips.
For more information, contact MEMA External Affairs at 866-920-MEMA (6362), or visit us online at www.msema.org
Also see: Snow & Ice Safety Tips
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