Driving In Adverse Weather Conditions

• Slow down.
• Always use the Search, Predict, Act (SPA) steps.
• Be sure your vehicle is in good condition.
• Keep vehicle headlights on low beam for better visibility.
• Increase following distance.
• Signal turns farther in advance.
• Brake earlier when approaching another vehicle from behind or when approaching a stop sign at an intersection.
• Do not use cruise control in rainy or slick, slippery conditions.
• Avoid unnecessary distractions such as talking on your cell phone, eating and talking to passengers.

Winter Weather Conditions

• Before starting your vehicle, remove ice and snow from the hood, trunk, roof, windows, headlights and taillights. Do not use warm water.
• Keep windows clear of condensation on the inside, and ice and snow on the outside.
• Maintain ventilation by leaving a window slightly open for a fresh supply of air and to reduce the possibility of your windows fogging.
• Test traction.
• Increase following distance.

Rain

• If the rainfall is heavy, try to wait until the rain subsides before driving.
• If you must drive, turn on your low beam headlights when you turn on your windshield wipers.
• If you are on the road and the rain becomes so heavy that you cannot see, find shelter out of the traffic (for example, a parking garage, car wash bay or highway underpass).

If you pull over:

• Make sure all four wheels can sit securely on the highway shoulder safely out of the traffic lane.
• Keep your low beam headlights on and turn on your emergency flashers.

High Water

• Do not attempt to drive through water flowing across the road.
• If you must drive through non-flowing water, drive slowly. Even speeds of a few miles per hour can force water into the engine, causing it to stall.
• Try to gauge the depth of the water. If it is below the bottom of your vehicle, put your vehicle in a low gear and drive slowly in the higher center of the road.
• If you have an automatic transmission, keep steady pressure on the brake with your left foot and press the accelerator with your right foot while moving through the water.
• After you are through the water, test your brakes by pressing on the brake pedal. If the vehicle will not slow or pulls to one side, keep light pressure on the brake pedal until the friction produces enough heat to dry the brakes.

 Fog

• Use low beam headlights.
• Watch your speedometer: Fog creates a visual illusion of slow motion: You may actually be speeding.
• Driving vision can be severely limited. Open your window slightly to listen for traffic you cannot see.
• Use the right edge of the road or painted road markings as a guide.
• If the fog is so thick that you have to pull over:
• Make sure all four wheels can sit securely on the highway shoulder safely away from traffic.
• Keep your low beam headlights on and turn on your emergency flashers.
• Set out flares or reflective triangles at least 200 feet behind your vehicle to alert other drivers.

 Crosswinds

• Be observant of crosswinds warning signs.
• Be prepared for sudden gusts and crosswinds when you exit a tunnel or drive on a bridge.
• Anticipate a blast of wind from large trucks as they pass your vehicle.
• When you feel a crosswind, steer slightly into it to maintain a straight path.

 Ice

• Do not make abrupt moves: Accelerate, brake and steer slowly.
• Watch for possible “black ice,” an invisible and treacherous layer of thin ice that takes on the appearance of the road surface and color.
• Assume bridges and overpasses will have ice.
• Test your tire traction if you are uncertain of road conditions:
• Make sure there are no pedestrians nearby.
• Lightly tap your brakes.
• If your vehicle slides, ice is on the road.
• If the road is icy, ease your foot off the brake pedal and slow down even more.
• Remember that sunny days are not necessarily ice-free. Be cautious of areas of the road that are shaded.

 Snow

• Do not make abrupt moves: Accelerate, brake and steer slowly.
• If the wheels start to spin when accelerating:
• Take your foot off the accelerator.
• When the wheels stop spinning, gently accelerate and slowly begin moving forward again.
• If your vehicle gets stuck in the snow:
• Clear snow from around the tires and under the vehicle.
• To improve traction, scatter sand, cat litter or some other abrasive material around the front wheels for front-wheel drive vehicles — and around rear wheels for rear-wheel drive vehicles.
• Place the vehicle in low gear.
• Straighten the front wheels.
• Gently accelerate forward without spinning the wheels.
• When the vehicle stops moving forward, take your foot off the accelerator, letting the engine slow.
• Shift into reverse and gently accelerate.
• When the vehicle stops going backward, take your foot off the accelerator. Let the engine slow down. Gently accelerate.
• Keep moving backward and forward until the wheels have created tracks long enough to drive out of the snow banks.

Skidding
You can lose traction in rain, ice or snow. But tires can lose their grip on the road and skid in other conditions, as well. Skidding can occur if you are over-braking, over-steering or driving too fast. Gravel, leaves, oil and lubricating fluids leaking from other vehicles may also cause your vehicle to lose traction and skid. If you begin to skid:

• Respond quickly, but do not panic.
• Do not brake.
• Take your foot off the accelerator or brake. The wheels must be rolling for you to maintain control.
• Turn in the direction you are skidding. For example, if the rear of the vehicle is skidding to the right, turn the steering wheel to the right.
• Avoid abrupt steering corrections to prevent a “fishtail effect.”
• Keep steering motions smooth and continuous.
• As the speed drops, you will regain more control.