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.
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.
4-27
To Next Page
Loading...
