PREPARE for the Trip

PROTECT Yourself

PREVENT crashes on the road

 One of the leading causes of death during winter is transportation
accidents. This is due to snow and ice, slipping and sliding.
Preparing yourself and your vehicle are key to safe winter driving.

9 Perform daily checks to make sure that your vehicle

is roadworthy;

9 Make sure your heater, defroster and windscreen

wipers are in good working order;

9 Always keep emergency supplies – shovel, snow

scraper, snow chains, blankets, flashlights – in your
car;

9 Check tread depth and tyre pressure.

 Plan your driving in advance;
Avoid driving when fatigued;
Check weather conditions for your travel route (and
time) before you begin driving;
Plan your arrival time at a destination by taking into
account any possible delays due to slower traffic,
reduced visibility, roadblocks, etc;
Inform someone of your route and planned arrival time;
Choose warm and comfortable clothing. If you need to remove outdoor clothing later
while driving, STOP the vehicle in a safe spot at first;
Warm up your vehicle BEFORE driving off. It helps prevent
moisture condensing on the inside of the windows;
NEVER warm up your vehicle in a closed garage;
Remove snow and ice from your vehicle;
Ensure you are familiar with the roads you will use as in bad
weather signs can become unreadable;
Wear sunglasses on bright sunny days to reduce glare
especially from snow.
 Slippery roads are a major hazard of winter driving.
3 Avoid sudden starts and stops as this can cause skids;
3 Reduce danger of skidding by driving more slowly and
by slowing down earlier than normal, for a turn or other
road hazard.
3 Keep a good distance between you and the vehicle in
front to ensure you can stop in a controlled manner if an
incident occurs in front.

3 If visibility gets too bad pull off of the road, stop

in a safe area of the highway and put on your
emergency flashers;
CAUTION: do not stop on the highway as
someone may not be able to see you stopped
there until it is too late!
3 Drive with dipped headlights on when it is
snowing – this makes your vehicle more visible.
Hills

4 When approaching an icy hill, pick a path that will allow

the most traction. Watch the cars ahead of you, and steer
clear of spots where they spin their wheels or slide backward.
Instead, head for unpacked snow or powder, where you’ll get
a better grip;

4 Build speed gradually while you’re on level ground. If

you have shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive, shift into it
before you reach the hill. After you have reached the top,
begin your descent slowly, shifting into a lower gear to
allow engine drag to slow the vehicle rather than using
brakes to reduce your speed.
 Curves

To maintain control, you must reduce your speed before

you enter an icy curve. Any sudden acceleration or
deceleration while you’re turning may easily send you into a
skid;

Intersections

Even two inches of snow can turn intersections into

crash zones. Slow down before approaching an
intersection. Scan left and right for pedestrians and cars
on cross streets;

Make sure that you can proceed safely through the

intersection. If not - stop to avoid a collision with an
oncoming vehicle.
Even if snow doesn't fall, roads can turn into ice rinks when the water on them
freezes. This condition is called black ice and it is not visible to the eye.

Black ice fools drivers. Its shine tricks them into thinking it's water on the road.
What they may not realize is that condensation, such as morning dew, freezes
when temperatures is going down. This forms an extra-thin layer of ice on the
road.

This shiny ice surface is one of the most slippery road conditions. Black ice
is most likely to form at bridges and overpasses, in shady spots.

• Black ice is almost undetectable.

• Keep your speed down if there is
risk of black ice.
• Watch for the subtle sheen on the
roadway !
L Don't panic!
L Stay in the car if you cannot shovel your car out of the snow;
L Stay in the car in blizzard conditions - Do not leave the car for
assistance unless help is visible within about 90 meters or 100 yards;

L Turn on flashing lights or set up flares;

L Run the car engine occasionally (about 10 minutes every
hour) to provide heat (and to conserve fuel). Ensure that the
tail exhaust pipe is free of snow and keep the window opened
slightly (on the side shielded from the wind) to prevent any
build up of carbon monoxide when the engine is running;

L Do not fall asleep. If there is more than one person in

the car, take turns sleeping;
L Do not stay in one position too long. Do some
exercises to help the circulation - move arms and legs,
clap your hands, etc.
L Don't panic!
Á Head your vehicle and steer in the direction of the skid;
Á DO NOT BRAKE!
Á DO NOT ACCELERATE!
Á Disconnect the driving force on the drive wheels by doing
either of the following;
Á If you're using automatic transmission, shift to neutral.
However, if you cannot do that immediately, do not touch the
transmission gear;
Á If you're using manual transmission, declutch;
If you begin a skid on ice, snow, or frost, and skid
sideways from icy pavement to dry pavement, the
chances for a serious fatal roll over accident are
extremely high. This is due to the fact that your tires will
suddenly grab on the dry pavement and flip you over.
You must avoid a skid in these conditions by keeping
your speed down to a crawl if you have to.
Technology could bring a new level of safety to winter driving, but only if it’s used properly.
Here’s how to minimize your risks and repair bill if your vehicle has the following features:
Four-Wheel Drive (4WD)
Sends power to all four wheels at your command. In a part-tim e system, you should engage 4WD only
on slick surfaces or very loose gravel, where wheels are bound to slip. Using 4WD on dry pavement
with good traction can damage the power train and wear the tires fast. Full-time 4WD incorporates a
center differential, that allows the front and rear axles to rotate at different rates. The newest technology
is called Automatic 4WD. An Automatic 4WD vehicle uses the electronic sensors of the vehicle’s ABS
(automatic braking system) to determine when your tires are slipping and only engages the vehicle’s
4WD system when required..
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Sends power to all four wheels, all the tim e. It doesn’t giv e you the choice to switch to two-wheel drive.
Both 4WD and AWD im prove traction for moving on ice and snow, but they don’t do anything for
stopping ability. For that reason, they can build a false sense of security that leads drivers to follow too
closely.
With AWD and 4WD, you need the same cushion of space as you would with two-wheel drive. In fact,
because of their weight, they may take longer to stop on slippery surfaces than a lighter passenger car
would at the same speed.
Traction Control
Helps you get going and maintain control on slippery surfaces; it prevents the drive wheels
from spinning by selectively applying the brake, by reducing the engine power, or both.
Most cars with traction control have a switch that allows you to turn it off when you don’t
need it to avoid excessive brake wear.

In the event of a skid, anti-lock brakes rely on a computer in the car to pump the
brakes more rapidly than you could pump them yourself. While the ABS is pumping
the brakes very rapidly, the wheels will continue turning. This gives you control
over the vehicles steering.

¾ Read your vehicle owners manual.

¾ When you need to stop, apply firm, steady pressure to the
brake pedal.
¾ You will feel a vibration or pulsating sensation on the brake
pedal. This means that the ABS is working properly.
¾ Gradually steer the car around any obstacles.
¾ Release pressure on the brake.
¾ Resume driving normally, but consider lowering your speed.