Driving on snow or ice: What to watch out for

Driving on ice or snow requires extreme caution. The snow that has already fallen in many areas of Greece creates traps on the road surface that the driver should keep in mind while driving.

– When we drive in the snow he must have his car tank full of fuel – we can never be sure if and for how long we might get stranded.

– When braking we should bear in mind that the stopping distance in snow and ice is 10 times higher than it is on dry road surface.
So we have to quadruple the safety distance from the car in front in order to avoid a collision.

– The dipped headlights (middle) must always be on, so that they can see us, but also so that they don’t get caught in the snow.

Chains – snow blankets: They enter the driving wheels, while the maximum speed must not exceed 50 km/h.
In any case, we must know in advance how they are placed and not when the need arises, in the middle of bad weather, on a snowy road.
The radiator must be in good condition and ensure that it has an ideal temperature in the cabin.

How we start the car and how we drive

The driver must always press the accelerator a little when starting, while it is good to have the engine at low revs when changing gears. When changing direction, the maneuvers must be slow and progressive, since on snow and especially on ice the change of direction and in general the change in the kinetic state of the car must be as smooth as possible.

If the driver cannot overtake safely, it is advisable to let the vehicle in front go ahead.

When the car skids in the snow, the driver must drive to the side of the skid (inverted steering wheel), do not brake suddenly and try to correct the course with gentle movements of the steering wheel.

Every driver must keep his car clean, because in this way he will reduce its corrosion, mainly from the salt present on the road. He must also ensure proper visibility by keeping the lights on and the windshield clean.

We pay close attention to bridges and overpasses as ice forms faster there.

How we protect the parked vehicle

When we are going to stop our car for hours, it is good not to pull the handbrake too much because it freezes and does not come back. Alternatively we use chocks under the wheels.

Before it snows, we lift the wipers from the windshield so they don’t stick to the ice.

In very low temperatures, forget the “splashers”. Water, even with antifreeze, freezes instantly, becomes a film of ice and needs a special scraper or to wait a long time for the radiator to work for the ice on the windows to melt.

RES-EMP

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