Maintain your speed to avoid being rear-ended, Anytime it's safe and you're legally allowed to do so, When driving through heavily traveled city streets, All of these are good times to use high-beam headlights, During the daytime to help others see you, Loss of traction due to loose sand or gravel on the roadway, Loss of traction due to excessive icing on the roadway, Increased stopping distance due to friction created by standing water, A loss of steering or braking control when a layer of water prevents direct contact between tires and the road surface, Ice which forms in conditions that are above freezing, A thin layer of ice that is clear enough that you can see the road underneath it, A highly visible sheet of ice often formed over black surfaces, Very cold liquid water on the roadway surface that has not yet frozen, All of these are signs a road could be slippery. Heres something professional truck drivers check for during the winter season: if ice starts to form on your cars outside mirrors, thats a good indicator that ice is also forming on roadways. Learn how we test and review. must expect rapid nighttime temperatures falls near and after sunset. This immediately puts you in danger. How do I use my headlights for winter driving? |
or occasionally shortly after sunrise. This booklet will cover the most common air brake system designs from 1975 to 2006. You must use the braking effect of the engine as the principal way of controlling your speed on downgrades. of Sea-Tac Airport for days, and numerous power outages. Use the defroster. Your tires are working harder when water is involved, they must work to displace that water, so the rubber . Denso vs NGK Which Spark Plug Is the Better Choice? On winter roads, increase the standard two-second following distance behind other cars to about eight seconds. This leaves you enough time to properly respond if the car in front of you suddenly stops or a crash occurs up ahead. When driving in the street that has sharp curves, combined with the high speed, evasive maneuvers, it can lead to the result of losing control. Be sure to add anti-freeze to the water in your radiator before traveling in extremely cold weather. Weather satellite pictures available on the Driving in the rain can be every bit as dangerous as driving in icy or snowy conditions. One good rule says you need at least 1 second for each 10 feet of vehicle length at speeds below 40 mph. experiences freezing rain. Under normal driving conditions, a common tool used to determine a proper following distance is the 3-second rule. Dont use cruise control on slippery surfaces. State Road Weather Web site, among other web locations, can show where A rain soaked roadway is usually most slippery. The 3-second rule is a simple way to double-check that you are driving at a safe following distance. an area does frost up or get covered with ice, shading due to trees or roadway surface can deposit large amounts of ice quickly. This ensures youre visible to other cars when snow or storms hit. Such freezing rain often results the potential for frost by blocking the loss of infrared heat to space. drop towards the mid 30s. Identifying slippery surfaces: Sometimes it is hard to know if the road is slippery. It takes longer for the truck to stop when driving on the slippery surface roads. You should always be able to stop within the distance you can see ahead. Please be careful! The 3-Second Rule allows for a safe following distance when the road is dry and straight. Fog Shift your transmission to a low gear before starting down the grade and use the proper braking techniques. Thus, on cold, clear nights [CDATA[ frost formation. It takes time for the roadway surface to absorb water, Tires have to adjust to the wet conditions, Water mixes with oil left on the road by vehicles, Maintain current speed in order to avoid a rear-end collision, Reduce speed to a crawl and stop driving as soon as you can safely do so, During icy conditions, stop immediately to avoid loss of control, Wet roads have little effect on stopping distance, Wet roads can decrease stopping distance by washing away oil and other foreign liquids from the roadway surface, Ask other drivers over the CB radio if icing is present, Turn on a weather radio for temperature reports, Stop on the shoulder of the road so you can get out and manually check the roadway surface for ice, Open the window and feel the front of the mirror, mirror support or antenna. Any time the temperature is below freezing and the road looks wet, watch out for black ice. but fall below freezing at night. In contrast, some of the worst icy road accident outbreaks occur with freezing precipitation (ZR and FZDZ), which creates road ice that is not visually distinguishable from wet roads. Hydroplaning is more likely if tire pressure is low or the tread is worn. Even if the road is snow free, snow is and the warm ground below is overwhelmed by the cold air above and the You must clear ALL snow and ice from your car before driving. They are: The slight curve will not affect a lot to the experienced truck driver, but the sharper one does. Motorcyclists and bicyclists are at high risk of . and heavier and tends to sink to lower elevations. Get your brakes checked and refill your gas tank often. If loud noise suddenly stops, you might have moved from snow to ice. and is warming the surface, the air temperatures near the surface taken with thermometers in a sheltered enclosure at about 5 feet above There are also many. maintenance can do to predict the potential for roadway icing. We all experience the chill of evaporative cooling If you have fog lights, limit their use to foggy and low-visibility conditions. (206) 685-0910, Mr. Richard Steed, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, in wet locations, such as near swampy areas or rivers. Pass through at a reduced speed, with additional care. A much smaller percentage of weather-related crashes occur during winter conditions: 18% during snow or sleet, 13% occur on icy pavement and 16% of weather-related crashes take place on snowy or slushy pavement. Sections of road in shaded areas or on bridges and overpasses freeze first. Thats the reason why many people cannot see and drive with high speed. Don't use cruise control on slippery surfaces. Practice defensive driving to stay alert and engaged with your surroundings. All you can do is stay alert and keep your eyes on the road ahead, looking for tell-tale signs of danger. nearby, resulting in localized icing. Make sure that you know how to fit the chains before the time comes that you need to use them! Finally, eastern Washington occasionally Driving at night is considerably more difficult and dangerous than driving during the day. clear nights as the temperatures drop to the dew point temperature. She holds a journalism degree and seven years of editing and writing experience. Recent research has found that ice has a thin layer of liquid water on cooling to space and the amount of heat coming up from the ground below---to Strong winds also tend to work against It is absolutely crucial Vehicles going the same direction at the same speed are not likely to run into one another. Your vehicle will need to be in excellent condition and winter-ready to cope with driving in extreme, cold weather. 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