How to drive safely in winter
Author: Zhiqiang Z.
Level: 7
Instructor: Tayaba S.
Photo Credit: candy18 / 123RF Stock Photo
Article ID: 2409 [Driving- Winter 2021]
There is a lot of snow in Canadian winter which means dangerous situation to drivers, especially those newcomers who have not enough driving experiences in chilly season. I have lived in Canada for three winters and have met a few dangerous situations. Moreover, I have also witnessed a few serious car crashes. To be honest, I was scared by those disaster scenes. I hope we all can be safe.
To keep us safe, especially when it is snowing, we must keep in mind some winter driving safety tips:
- Get winter tires
The first and one of the most important tips for safe during the snow season is to replace your summer or all-season tires with a set of good-quality winter tires. You might think you can drive safely with all-season tires, after all, the winter tires and rims are expensive. But the truth is that you need snow tires in the winter which are designed specifically for winter driving.
- Slow down
Most car crashes are because of high speed. One of the simplest things you can do to help keep safe is slow down. Because on the icy or snowy roads, all the actions such as accelerating, turning, stopping will take longer distance than usual. You don’t have enough time to react to the situation ahead when you are at high speed.
- Keep a safe distance
Apart from slow down, you must maintain longer distance from the front car. Thus, you can have enough distance to stop in case of emergency in the front.
- Check road condition
During the wintertime, it’s more important to check the road condition before you get in your car. Check the weather in advance is a very good habit. You need to leave your home earlier if there will be snow on the road. Adequate time can let you concentrate on driving without distraction.
- Avoid cruise control
Cruise control can be a useful function in normal road condition. However, it will be very dangerous when the road is snowy, icy or wet because it is easy to lose control of your car.
- Brake before you make a turn
During snowy weather, you can not make a turn at the same speed as during normal weather when the road is dry and clean.