Although all drivers have undergone slippery road training, it’s still worth occasionally reviewing the basics and why not try driving on ice with an instructor. Even if you’re confident in your driving skills, the safest trick for staying on the road and avoiding accidents is to choose the right speed.
Let’s go over six situations that can arise while driving on slippery roads and outline how to handle them.
Tire Slippage
Tires slip when there is insufficient traction with the road and/or if acceleration has been too aggressive. If your tires begin to slip, take your foot off the gas pedal and slow down until the tires regain traction. On winter roads, avoid heavy acceleration, and instead, do so more calmly and smoothly.
Wheel Locking
Wheels lock when you brake too abruptly on a slippery surface, and the car’s wheels stop, but the car continues to slide. When wheels lock, take your foot off the brake until traction is regained, then brake smoothly, gradually increasing pressure.
Understeering
Understeering happens when the front wheels lose traction while entering a curve, causing the car to lose control and not turn properly. Most often, understeering occurs because the driving speed in a curve is too high and doesn’t take into account the slippery conditions.
If the speed is much faster than it should be, the safest option is to choose the safest exit path from the road. If the speed is just a few kilometers per hour over the limit, take your foot off the gas pedal, gently apply the brakes, and calmly steer into the curve. Never jerk the steering wheel or brake suddenly in such situations, as this can cause wheel lock and worsen the understeering.
Oversteering
Oversteering happens when the rear wheels lose traction, causing the back of the car to slide from side to side. This most often occurs with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive cars when the rear wheels slip.
To regain control of the car, take your foot off the gas pedal, gently steer, and maintain the original direction of travel. Do not brake and avoid turning the wheel abruptly, as this can create counter-slip and cause sharp spins in the opposite direction.
Counter-slip
Counter-slip occurs when you try to recover from oversteering too aggressively, causing the rear wheels to slide in the opposite direction. The back of the car begins to “flap.”
For rear-wheel drive cars, to regain control, take your foot off the gas pedal and gently steer towards the center of the road. For front-wheel drive cars, take your foot off the brake and lightly press the gas while steering the wheels toward the center of the road.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning occurs on wet surfaces when water between the tire and the road doesn’t move away quickly enough, causing the car to lose contact with the road. This can cause the driver to completely lose control of the vehicle.
Hydroplaning may occur…
- When the tread on the tires is worn down;
- When tire pressure is low;
- When driving too fast on wet roads or in rain;
- When making sudden changes in speed or direction on wet roads;
- When driving too fast through a large puddle in a curve;
- When driving through a large puddle with cruise control on.
Never brake sharply or turn the wheel when hydroplaning occurs! To reduce speed, take your foot off the gas pedal, keep the wheel steady in the direction of travel, and wait until the car slows down. If driving a manual transmission car, also press the clutch all the way to the floor and wait until the car stops. If braking seems unavoidable, do so gently and cautiously, almost like pumping the brakes.
Basic Rules for Driving on Slippery Roads:
A – Always choose a speed suitable for the road conditions.
B – Avoid sudden maneuvers, abrupt acceleration, hard braking, or drastic speed changes during maneuvers.
C – Handle the steering wheel, clutch, and gas with much more care and caution than usual.
Original post is found here: https://mobire.ee/turundus/libedasoidu-abc/
