What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard
to
drive
on.
But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer
the
least traction
of
all.
You
can get “wet ice” when
it’s
about freezing
(32”
F;
0°C)
and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try
to
avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
--
smooth
ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
--
drive
with
caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not
to
break
the
fragile
traction.
If
you
accelerate
too
fast,
the
drive
wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve
your
ability
to
make
a
hard stop on
a
slippery road. Even though you have an
anti-lock braking system, you’ll want
to
begin stopping
sooner than
you
would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-Lock”
in
the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery
road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until
you
hit
a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings,
or
under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of
a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when
the
surrounding roads are clear. If
you
see a patch
of
ice ahead
of
you, brake before you
are
on
it. Try not to brake while you’re actually
on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers,
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General
