Driving on the ice is much different than driving on dry roads, and it can lead to accidents. In fact, this is why there is often a rash of accidents at the beginning of the winter because it seems like people have simply forgotten how to drive under these conditions. They’re still driving the same way they would have in July, and that’s leading to accidents.
But what are you supposed to do differently in the winter? How do you drive safely on the ice? Below are some tips that can help:
Brake early
Any time that you have to stop or slow down, start the process early. For instance, you might be approaching a sharp curve in the road. Don’t wait as long as you would to slow down in the summer, or you won’t be able to reduce your speed and you risk losing control during the turn.
Steer into a skid
In some cases, your car may start sliding. This may only go on for a few meters, or it could be much further. Try to stay calm, steer into the skid and take your foot off of the gas. Try to avoid pushing the brakes, as that just makes it harder to control the vehicle and doesn’t slow you down very much on the ice anyway.
Drive slowly and carefully
The best thing you can do is certainly just to drive carefully and slowly at all times, even if you’re not sure that there’s ice on the road. There could be invisible black ice. Increase the following distances that you have from the cars ahead of you and focus much more on being in control of the vehicle. Understanding that the road conditions are going to work against you can help.
That being said, other drivers are still going to make mistakes and cause accidents in bad conditions. Be sure you know how to seek compensation.