Be Prepared for These Snowy Situations

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January 28th, 2013 at 10:40 am

One of the beauties of Michigan; you never know what the weather will bring. Today's combination of snow and ice can make driving a dangerous feat. Be prepared for the common jams below before venturing on the snowy-icy roadways.

If your rear wheels skid…

Take your foot off the gas.
Steer in the direction you want your front wheels to go. How do you know which way to turn? If your back wheels are veering to the left, steer left, and if they're veering to the right, steer right.
If as you begin to steer your back tires veer in the opposite direction, steer in that direction. You'll find you may need to go back and forth.
Do you have standard brakes? Gently pump them.
Do you have anti-lock brakes? Do NOT pump. Steadily apply pressure.

If your front wheels skid…

Take your foot off the gas.
Shift into neutral.
As the front wheels veer sideways, steer in the direction you want to go.
Then put in “drive” and gently accelerate again.

If you get stuck…

Do NOT spin your tires; this will only dig you in more.
Turn your wheels from side-to-side to push away snow.
Gently accelerate to ease out of the lurch.
Shovel away any snow from tires and under the car.
Keep sand or kitty litter in your trunk for situations like this. Pouring it in the path of your wheels will create traction to move your vehicle.
Try rocking back and forth (if your manual states it's ok to do so. This can harm the transmission on some vehicles).
Shift from forward, then reverse, and then back again. Touch the accelerator each time you're in gear.

(Driving Safety Tips, Driving in Snow and Ice, weather.com, http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/drivingsafety/drivingsafetytips/snow.html

Posted in Uncategorized, News by Jason Waechter, Esq.

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