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. 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.
Dric
J
on
1
.zen 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.
Driving in Water
Heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water
is
before you drive through
it. If it’s deep enough
to
cover your wheel hubs, axles
or exhaust pipe, don’t try it
-
you probably won’t
get through.
Also,
water that deep can damage your
axle and other vehicle parts.
4-26
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