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;
OOC)
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.
Keep your traction control system on.
It
improves your
ability to accelerate when driving on
a
slippery road.
Even though your vehicle has a traction control system,
you‘ll want
to
slow down and adjust your driving to the
road conditions. See “Traction Control System”
in
the
Index.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make
a
hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have the
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.
4-25
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