Get
yer thrills on the slopes, not the roads
By Jack Kintner
It
takes a combination of preparation and technique to keep
the potentially nasty surprises out of your winter driving.
The following was gleaned through interviews with police,
state patrol troopers, two truck operators, mechanics and
the owner of an auto parts store.
Vehicle Preparation
Cooling systems, especially on older cars, need some preventive
maintenance every fall. Because antifreeze is such nasty
stuff, have a mechanic equipped to do so test and, if necessary,
drain, flush and fill your cooling system. If you add antifreeze
yourself remember that it’s an attractive but deadly
poison for pets and wildlife if spilled. Replace your oil
as per manufacturer’s recommendation, and fill your
windshield reservoir with a commercial liquid that will
help keep it from freezing. Some people add a little dishwashing
detergent to help it cut through the greasy muck thrown
up by trucks and traffic on slushy roads.
Wiper blades should be replaced, and your lights should
be checked and replaced as necessary. Your battery should
be full of water, or tested if it’s a sealed unit,
and should have clean terminals and connectors. Locks should
be lubricated with something that replaces water such as
WD-40 or a dry lube like powdered graphite to keep them
from freezing. Fall is also a good time to change tires,
especially if you use one “all-season” set
all year. Siping, or adding minute horizontal slices to
the surface of the tire, is usually done by the dealer
as an option. Get it if you can because it helps a lot
on ice or compact snow.
Technique
Have you ever seen someone get stuck in the snow or ice
and then just sit there while spinning his wheels until
they smoke? Amazingly, if it was parked outside that same
guy may have walked to his car very carefully because he
senses that in order not to fall on the ice he has to maintain
traction if he doesn’t want to slip.
Same with your tires. As soon as you lose traction, more
spinning doesn’t help. The point at which traction
is lost depends on the condition of the surface of your
car’s ‘shoes,’ and for winter driving
nothing helps like a good all-season or snow tire. If you
don’t like the idea of trusting just one tire dealer
to tell you what you may need, visit or call several, and
check the many internet sites that compare the performance
of different brands of tires.
The point, of course, is to not get stuck in the first
place, to not get over confident. For example, remember
that over-sized tires found on many SUVs and 4x4 pickups
give significantly less traction in snow and ice than regular
all-season tires of the same design and age. A four or
all-wheel-drive set-up and front wheel drive, too, have
some advantages, especially from a standing start, but
tire condition is the key factor.
Traffic speeds vary a lot in winter conditions, from some
drivers going way too fast and endangering others to people
in equipment that’s not up to the task going very
slowly or worse, getting stuck and blocking other traffic.
The bottom line is that in winter conditions your defensive
driving skills are more necessary than ever. Intersections
are often the first places to get dangerously slick, so
anticipate and brake early. Around parking lots, try not
to stop unless you’re in a place where you can easily
get moving again.
Varying traffic speeds also can lead to frustrations expressed
by some in following too closely. It’s a rude invitation
for disaster, so if someone creeps up your back bumper
more closely than you’d like, pull over if and when
you can to let them go ahead and crash into someone else.
Winter roads are not a place for road rage.
Do you find it hard to see at night? Some drivers angle
their rear-view mirrors slightly outward to keep the headlights
from following traffic out of their eyes, setting the mirrors
so that it takes a slight sideways movement of the head
to see traffic behind them but making it easier to see
ahead especially if you’re driving for long stretches.
Drive for mileage. The same gentle starts and long slowdowns
and gentle touch with the wheel that gives you better mileage
also works great on snow and ice. The old advice still
works: drive like you have a fresh egg between your foot
and the accelerator, except in winter when you’d
also put an egg between your foot and the brake pedal.
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