Tips For Safe Driving On Snow

Driving through a terrain blanketed in white is a surreal experience – equal parts exciting and beautiful. But as a surface, snow (and especially ice) offers very little traction to the tyres, making driving decidedly tricky.

For a safe and comfortable drive on snow, check out these handy tips:

SMOOTHLY DOES IT

The key to driving safely on snow – or any other low-traction surface for that matter – is to drive very, very smoothly. All your inputs to the car should be gentle: accelerate and decelerate gently, turn the steering wheel gently, and brake gently. Sudden movements of any kind, whether linear or directional, can cause the tyres to lose what little grip they have. Whether accelerating from a standstill or mid-drive, take things slowly avoid any wheelspin. Always brake gently, lest you send your car sliding. And finally, turn in and out smoothly and slowly.

ALWAYS LOOK AHEAD

A key tenet of good driving is to look where you want to go. Many drivers tend to look where their car is going as opposed to where they want to go. On slippery surfaces like snow, this is even more important.

Keep your eyes focused on the road ahead, constantly assessing your environment and planning your next two, five, ten moves. Slow down before turning into a corner and always keep a healthy distance – double or triple your regular stopping distance – between you and the next car to give everyone enough room to slowly roll to a stop.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR FLASHING LIGHTS

If your car has any stability program or traction control, its flashing lights will give you important clues about the traction status of your car. The icon for the electronic stability program is usually a little car with squiggly lines under it. While driving on snow, if this icon starts lighting up or blinking, it’s a sign that your tyres are losing traction. The best way to deal with this is to simply take your foot off the gas. In most cases, a slight deceleration will immediately increase the amount of traction available to your tyres. If you are a Ford owner, then you would be very well-versed with the advanced technology on board Ford Endeavour that makes driving through challenging terrains, like snow-covered mountains, safe and easy.

LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH SKIDS

If you drive in the winter, you’ve likely experienced at least one skid in your motoring lifetime, and surely you know that it is inevitable while driving on a snowy terrain. The good news is that recovering from a skid is relatively straightforward. Just remain calm, look where you want to go and make some important steering, brake, and accelerator inputs, like this:

• For front-wheel-drive cars, a skid would manifest in your car, turning in a wider arc than you expect it to. All you need to do is take your foot off the gas – the front wheels should regain traction momentarily, causing the car to straighten.
• For rear-wheel-drive cars, a skid would manifest as the car feeling like it’s spinning out. In such cases, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid. If the rear is sliding out to the right, turn the steering wheel right and ease off the accelerator and the brakes. The rear wheels should start gaining traction, and the car should straighten out

USE ABS THE CORRECT WAY

The general rule of the thumb while driving on snow is to use your brakes as gently and sparingly as possible. However, in emergency situations, such as when impact is imminent, you might need to stand on the brakes. ABS allows you to apply brakes while simultaneously being able to steer.

For example, when it comes to steering safely out of a skid (as mentioned above), if your steering inputs and deceleration don’t do the trick, stand on the brakes and let ABS kick in.

Ford cars are equipped with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), which balance the brake force between the front and rear wheels of the car. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) on-board Ford cars improves vehicle’s stability detecting loss of traction to help you get a better grip on-road and prevent skidding or sliding even in snow.

And if you drive a Ford Endeavour, you’d know exactly what we are saying. The Ford Endeavour is kitted with the first-in-segment Terrain Management System (TMS), an advanced technology designed to provide maximum traction, control, and performance on all surfaces. It ensures that the traction and control are optimised for snow and ice. This premium SUV tailors the throttle response, gearshifts, traction control, ABS and ESP to suit the terrain by setting the mode to snow.

So, brake hard but don’t forget to steer while looking in the direction you want your car to go. Jamming the brakes mid-slide might seem counter-intuitive, but don’t let up; keep steering yourself to safety. Many ABS systems, when activated, make the brake pedal shudder—this is normal, and it means that the system is working. And if you are behind the wheels of a Ford Endeavour, you are well covered!

CONCLUSION

Driving on snow is quite an adventure, best enjoyed in a car capable of handling the terrain. Ford SUVs such as the Ford EcoSport and Ford Endeavour are equipped with safety kit which includes ESP, ABS with (EBD), airbags, and fog lamps, to make driving on low-traction terrain safe, comfortable, and enjoyable. If you plan on taking your Ford onto snowed-over roads, don’t forget to you can Dial-A-Ford to ensure your machine is well-prepared for your trip this winters. And if things do take a turn for the worse while you’re travelling, Ford’s Roadside Assistance is available 24×7 to help you out.

Drive safe!