Know Before You Go
Be prepared to keep your passengers and yourself safe.
Ice and Snow, Take It Slow! Don’t Crowd the Plow!
Use slower acceleration and slower speeds. Avoid heavy steering and braking. Allow extra time to reach your destination during inclement weather. It is not worth putting your own life or the lives of others in danger to save time.
- Drive with your headlights on.
- Don't get overconfident with four-wheel drive. It won't help you stop any faster.
- Winter road conditions often result in longer stopping distances. Give yourself room. If you have anti-lock brakes, press the pedal down firmly and hold it. If you don't have anti-lock brakes, gently pump the pedal.
- Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady spots. These all have potential to develop black ice.
- Avoid abrupt actions while steering, braking or accelerating to lessen your chance of losing control.
- Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra reaction time.
- Trucks take longer to stop. Don't cut in front of them.
- Avoid using cruise control or overdrive. Don't let your car make a bad decision for you.