IHSA’s Top 10 Tips for Safe Winter Driving

Whether driving is part of your job or just how you get to your job, safety should always be top-of-mind when you’re behind the wheel. That’s especially true in winter, when snow and ice make roads more hazardous. Get ready for the road ahead by learning about the Four Ps of winter driving and reviewing the timely tips below.

Get your vehicle ready for winter

By preparing in advance for winter conditions, you can be more confident in your vehicle’s safety when driving hazards do arrive. Be sure to:

• Take you vehicle for a pre-winter checkup—to identify issues that could make winter driving more troublesome (e.g., a weak battery, worn brake pads, cracked hoses).
• Switch to winter-rated windshield wiper fluid, and keep an extra jug or two in your trunk.
• Pack an emergency kit with items such as first-aid supplies, flashlight, a warm blanket, and shovel.

And on each trip, be sure to bring your cell phone (plus a charger), water and snacks. These items will be especially welcome if you end up in an emergency.

Install winter tires

Winter tires’ specialized rubber compound and tread pattern provide better traction than three-season tires on snowy and icy roads—and anytime temperatures drop below 7° Celsius. Don’t forget to notify your auto insurance company: by using winter tires, you may be eligible for a discount on your insurance premium.

Plan your route, check conditions, and leave lots of time

Thinking ahead about your trip—and having a contingency plan—can take some of the stress out of a potentially challenging situation.

• Map your route in advance, noting places where you can stop safely to wait out bad weather.
• On the day of the trip, check the weather forecast for your destination and any areas you’ll be driving through.
• Use the Ontario 511 app to view road conditions, locations of snowplows, and more.
• Knowing your trip’s distance and driving conditions, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.

Clear snow and ice

To ensure you can safely see and be seen on the road, remove snow and ice from:

• Front and rear windshield, plus all side windows.
• Head and taillights, to help other motorists see you better.
• Roof—to stop blowing snow from creating a visibility hazard for drivers behind you.

Watch your speed

Posted speed limits indicate safe speeds for driving under ideal conditions. On snowy or icy roads, you may have to drive significantly slower to maintain traction. Likewise, practise smooth steering and acceleration: sudden, forceful manoeuvres increase your chances of losing control of the vehicle.

Leave lots of space

Your vehicle needs three to 12 times the amount of space to stop on snowy or icy roads (versus on a dry road). Increasing your following distance increases your margin of safety if you have to brake unexpectedly. Make four seconds of following distance your minimum for winter: pick a stationary object such as a road sign, and count the seconds after the vehicle in front of you passes it. Four seconds should elapse before you pass the same object.

Stay calm in a skid

Advanced features like all-wheel drive and electronic stability control are no guarantee that your vehicle won’t lose traction on an icy road. If you start to skid, stay calm and follow these general practices:

• Ease off the brake or gas—whichever pedal was in use when the skid started. Your tires need to start rolling again or spin less quickly (depending on whether you were braking or accelerating) in order to regain traction.
• Look where you want to go, as you’re more likely to steer in that direction—rather than into a hazard you’d rather avoid.
• Make small, controlled steering adjustments, otherwise you risk over-correcting.

Be aware of snowplows and emergency responders

Snowplows are vital to maintaining safe roads during and after a snowfall. Their large size, however, can be a hazard. They have sizable blind spots and the plow itself may extend beyond the width of a single lane. Plows may also throw up clouds of snow that significantly reduce visibility. Give them ample room to work, and don’t be too eager to pass. After all, the road behind a plow will be safer to drive on than the road in front of it.

Keep watch for emergency vehicles, too. Ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles, or tow trucks that are stopped and have their lights flashing are likely helping someone in need. Slow down as you approach, and move over: on multi-lane roadways, you must leave a lane of space between you and the emergency vehicle, if you can do so safely.

Forget cruise control

Cruise control is designed for ideal road conditions. It may respond incorrectly if you hit a patch of snow or ice, causing your vehicle to skid. With your foot off the pedal, you’ll be less likely to feel this loss of control, which compromises your ability to correct it. Even the simple act of slowing down takes an extra step with cruise control engaged. In winter, you don’t want to do anything that will slow your reaction time.

Know what to do if you’re stuck in a snowstorm

Proper planning and patient driving decrease your chances of getting into trouble on winter roads, but they cannot fully eliminate the risk of an incident. Follow these tips to stay safe if you become stranded during a snowstorm:

• Call for roadside assistance, but be prepared to wait. Service providers are likely to be busy during a blizzard. In an emergency, call 911.
• Do not leave your vehicle unless help is immediately visible. It’s easy to lose your bearings in heavy or blowing snow.
• Turn on hazard lights and display a distress sign—like a brightly coloured cloth hung from a (closed) window.
• Bundle up in warm clothes, plus the blanket from your emergency kit. Occasionally turn on the engine to run the heater.
• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by keeping the exhaust pipe clear of snow. For fresh air, slightly open a window on the vehicle’s downwind side.