Driving
in
Mud, Sand, Snow or
Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels
won’t get good traction.
You
can’t accelerate as quickly,
turning is more difficult, and
you’ll
need longer braking
distances.
It’s best to use a low gear when you’re in mud
-
the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is
to
keep your vehicle moving
so
you don’t
get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense a change in
wheel traction.
But
it will depend upon how loosely
packed the sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend to sink
into the sand. This has an effect on steering,
accelerating and braking. You may want to reduce the
air pressure in your tires slightly when driving on
sand. This will improve traction. Drive at a reduced
speed and avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers
Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it’s very easy
to
lose control. On
wet ice, for example, the traction is
so
poor that you will
have difficulty accelerating. And
if
you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can cause you
to
slide
out of control.
Driving
on
frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the
ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could drown. Drive
your vehicle
on
safe surfaces only.
4-29
To Next Page
Loading...
