Safe Driving
Winter is here and with it comes the hazardous driving conditions associated with cold weather, sleet, and snow. Safe driving requires certain adjustments of our normal driving habits and the addition of special skills. Let's take a look at some of the things you can do to have an accident free winter.

Prepare for driving
In addition to normal maintenance, check to make sure your tires, battery, exhaust system, wiper blades, brakes, and steering are in top condition. Be ready to adjust your speed and give attention to adverse conditions.

Starting your vehicle in the morning
Start your vehicle five to ten minutes before you plan to drive it (racing the engine does not help to warm up the vehicle and may damage the brittle, unlubricated engine parts). Turn on your defroster immediately (this will warm the windshield gradually and reduce the danger of sudden fogging of the glass). Scrape ice and snow from all glass areas and see that all lights are cleaned off. It's not enough that you see; others must be able to see you. When it's dark or overcast, turn on your headlights.

Starting on ice and snow
Use a steady, light touch on the gas pedal. If your wheels should start to spin, ease off on the gas. When stuck on ice, use sand or a metal traction mat and that same "light touch" on the gas pedal.

Steering on slippery pavement Keep both hands on the wheel and make your turns as smooth and gradual as possible. Remember, you can't maneuver on snow and ice like you can on dry pavement. Under these conditions it's best to slow down, increase your following distance, and avoid lane changing.

Stopping on ice and snow
When applying the brakes in a vehicle without Anti-Brakes (ABS), use a slow "squeeze" on the brakes for stopping a vehicle on ice and snow. This will give you maximum braking while maintaining steering control. You do this by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.

In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.

In many emergencies, STEERING can help you more than even the very best braking.

In the last several years however, most newer model vehicles have been equipped with an advanced electronic braking system (ABS).

If a vehicle has ABS, it will be stamped on the brake pedal and the word "ANTI-LOCK" will be briefly illuminated on the instrument panel when the vehicle is started.

Here's how anti-lock works:

Let's say the road is wet. You're driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with ABS. A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at both rear wheels. The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any driver could. The computer is programmed to make the most of available tire and road conditions. You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you won't have the time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes.

Remember,……..when using anti-lock brakes:

• Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but this is normal.
• When the anti-lock system is adjusting pressure to help avoid a braking skid, the "LOW TRAC" light will appear on the instrument panel.
• Anti-lock allows a driver to steer and brake at the same time.
• All drivers must adapt according to the type of vehicle they are driving and the environmental conditions they are faced with.

For additional tips on keeping it safe this winter, download our Winter Driving Tips PDF.