Driving 109
Driving on Snow or Ice
Any time there is snow or ice on the road, you can have a loss
of traction. You should always exercise caution in snowy or
icy conditions.
Your anti-lock brakes will improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road, but you will
still want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See Four-Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on
page 104 for more information. Whatever the road conditions,
loose or packed snow, ice, and/or freezing rain, you need to
drive with caution.
• Allow for more space between you and the vehicle in
front of you when there are slippery road conditions.
• Watch for slippery spots on otherwise clear roads. Icy
patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot
reach, like behind buildings, around clumps of trees and
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 reach the ice, do not try to brake while you are on the
ice and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
Blizzard Conditions
Heavy snowfall and/or blizzard conditions can cause road con-
ditions to deteriorate quickly and it may be necessary to stop
driving until the conditions clear. Being stopped by heavy
snow is a potentially dangerous situation, but there are steps
you can take to help keep you and your passengers safe.
• Stay with your vehicle unless you know that you are close
to help and can hike through the snow.
• Turn on your hazard flashers.
• Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert others that you have
been stopped by the snow.
• Put on any extra clothing, or wrap a blanket around you to
keep warm.
You can also run the engine for short periods of time as need to
keep warm, but follow the safety precautions below to keep
engine exhaust from entering the vehicle:
Before running the engine for warmth, clear snow away
from around the base of your MV-1 because snow can trap
exhaust gases underneath the vehicle. This condition could
allow exhaust to enter the vehicle.
REASON: Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide
(CO) which cannot be seen or smelled. Carbon monoxide
can cause unconsciousness and even death.
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