1. All-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive cars are superior when it comes to stopping and cornering on ice and snow.

 

False. All-wheel and front-wheel drive are great for getting out of snow and getting underway on slippery roads since 60 percent of the car’s weight is over the drive wheels. While this helps you get started, it doesn’t help you stop. And the weight distribution (especially of front-wheel-drive cars) may not be ideal for handling and cornering. To get the grip it needs to corner and brake properly on frosty roads, you need winter tires on all four wheels. According to tire-maker Bridgestone, the difference in traction between all-season and severe-winter-rated tires is 25 to 50 percent.

In all, don’t get a false sense of security just because your car pops out of your snow-covered driveway while your neighbor’s rear-wheel-drive car is stuck.

 

2. When heading into a curve on slippery roads, brake before you get to the curve.

 

True. Ideally, brake prior to the curve while the car is traveling straight. This way, you’re braking in a straight line. Take your foot off the brake before steering into the curve. This allows you to use all of the tires’ traction for steering. Accelerate only when you are out of the turn, and you have straightened the steering wheel.

 

3. In slippery conditions, double the distance between you and the car in front of you.

 

True. “Anticipation.” It’s not just an old Carly Simon song. It’s a key to safe driving, especially in snowy, icy and slushy conditions. Look far ahead and be prepared for the conditions, obstacles and maneuvers to come. Not only are stopping distances much longer on slippery roads, but slick conditions also can send your car sliding in directions you never imagined. So give yourself space—and time—to react.

 

The normal dry-pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to 10 seconds. To figure this following distance, choose a fixed point, and when the vehicle in front of you is even with it, start counting. If you reach that object before the allotted time, back off.

 

4. For stopping on icy roads, pump your brakes.

 

False. Let the antilock braking system (ABS) work for you. If your car was built in the current century, chances are it has ABS. If you’ve ever felt a vibration in the brake pedal on a slick road, you have witnessed ABS at work as the system prevents wheel lock-up. So, with ABS, don’t pump the brakes—that technique is from a former generation of vehicles. Instead, keep firm pressure on the brake pedal until your car comes to a complete stop.

 

5. If your car goes into a skid, hit the brakes…hard!

 

False. As the AAA Driver Improvement Program (DIP) points out, this is a very poor way to regain control in a skid.

 

As AAA’s DIP instructor’s note, it’s important to know that there are two types of skids: front-wheel and rear-wheel skids. In a front-wheel (or “understeer”) skid, your vehicle continues going straight even though you’re trying to make a turn. You’ve turned the wheels, but the vehicle is not responding to your steering because the front tires have lost traction with the pavement.

In a rear-wheel (or “oversteer”) skid, the rear of your vehicle slides out from under you. The vehicle is turning more than you’ve steered it. In a skid, the most important thing you can do is to continue to look and steer where you want to go. If you keep your eyes on your intended path, your hands and feet with follow through.

 

The next most important thing is to avoid slamming on the brakes. Hitting the brakes is a driver’s most typical response in any emergency situation. In a skid, slamming on the brakes only further upsets the vehicle’s balance and makes it harder for you to regain control.

Shifting gears also will upset the vehicle’s balance. Don’t downshift or shift to neutral. Leave the gearshift alone and concentrate on looking and steering where you want to go.

 

6. Putting 100% coolant in your car is a better way to protect it at winter temperatures.

 

False. In most areas, you'll only need a 50-50 mix of coolant to water. This mix is better for your car because it has a lower freezing point. Additionally, 100% coolant is less able to transfer heat away from your engine, and has been known to cause such nasty things as melted spark plugs of engine failure under the wrong circumstances.

 

7. When heading up an icy hill, you shouldn’t accelerate at a high rate.

 

True. It’s dangerous to power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.

 

8. Always turn your windshield wipers off before shutting off the car.

 

True. If you leave the wiper switch in the “on” position, the blades will try to swing into action the next time you start the car. But what if in the meantime, cold weather has frozen the blades to the windshield? While the blades are stuck in place, the wiper motor will be stressing and straining to move them. Not good for the blades, and definitely not good for the life of your wiper motor.

 

9. Its ok to drive, if you’re just a bit tired.

 

False. Drowsy driving is never a good idea – but making long trips on short winter days is even worse since visibility and conditions on the road are worse. Driving while tired can impair your ability to drive as much as drinking, too. If you start to feel tired, switch drivers or pull into a safe area for a nap.

 

10. Avoid driving on back roads.

 

True. While back roads are less populated, they are often the last to get plowed so if you get stuck on an unplowed or poorly plowed back road, chances are you’ll be there for a while. Stick to the main roads until you’re sure the back roads have been plowed sufficiently.