12
Braki
ng
When braking the car
under
slippery
conditions,
use the
foot
brake rather than the braking effect
of
the engine.
A
lot
is lost by using the engine
as
a brake. The first is
time
and the second is
stability
. As
only
the front wheels
are being braked, steering becomes more
difficult
to
con-
trol.
Brakes
must
be absolutely reliable.
They
must
under
no
circumstances
show
the
tendency
to pull
or
grab. At
the slightest sign
of
any
trouble
in the braking system,
have it adjusted
or
repaired
right
away. Locked wheels
immediately result in loss
of
traction, both forward and
sideward.
If wheel lock occurs,
quickly
release the brakes,
momentarily
allowing the wheels to regain the road speed,
and then reapply the brakes as
gently
as
possible.
Under extreme
conditions
, a deluge
of
water
or
snow
can
temporarily
reduce the efficiency
of
the brakes.
In such conditions, gently tapping the brake pedal will
provide heat from
friction
and
dry
the braking surfaces.
The hand brake -
or
emergency brake - should also
function freely; therefore use the hand brake as often as
possible to keep it from sticking and
be
sure that it really
works.
Winter D
ri
ve
r Equipment
To
be
able to drive safely it
is
necessary to secure maxi-
mum possible road grip. This means having tires
suit-
ab~e
for
winter
driving. Today's studded tires are a
signif-
icant
contribution
to increased protection against loss
of
traction and skids. Check with
your
local
Motor
Vehicle
Bureau. Some states
forbid
the use
of
studded tires.
The windshield wipers are often needed in
winter
driving when preceding and
oncoming
traffic
throw
up
mud
or
snow over the windshield, especially when the
outside temperature is around the freezing
pOint. It is
important that wiper blades
not
be
worn out. A
work-
ing windshield washer
is
absolutely essential.
Some
form
of
anti-freeze additive
is
needed
for
the washer to
work
during cold periods. Before driving, test the washer
by
spraying a few times.
Also affecting the driver's visibility
is
an
adequate
heating and ventilation system. Windows
should
not
be
allowed to steam up
or
become frosty. A
properly
opera-
ting defroster will
blow
a
strong
stream
of
air over
the
whole length
of
the windshield. Rear
windows
should
also remain defrosted.
Check the
lighting
system and see if it
functions
pro-
perly. It
is
vital to have the best possible
lighting
when
driving on dark winter roads.
At
the same time take the
t!me to check reflectors and the instrument panel warning
lights. Check that both the
low
and
high
beam
headlights
are
correctly
adjusted.
according
to local state laws.
Low beams can often provide better
lighting
in
fog, rain,
or
snow than the high beams.
Before venturing
out
on
winter
roads you
must
be
able
to trust
your
car.
Be
sure that it has been gone over
thor-
oughly
and
is
well equipped.
Starling Off
When starting
off
on a slippery road
or
in
snow
use the
throttle and clutch pedals gently and carefully.
Too
much
throttle and a jerked
clutch
quickly
cause wheel-spin. If
the car is slipping too
much
to
move forward,
try
backing
up a
little.
Try
rolling backwards and
forwards
to
get
away from the slippery patch. If
caught
in a rut
or
unable
to move forward
or
backward, try
turning
the
front
wheels
to a right angle with the rut and driving over
the
edge.
The car carpets can
be
used
as
skid mats in an
emergency
.
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