Tips for Driving in Icy Conditions

Whether you live in a cold climate where icy roads are common or you’re traveling to a winter paradise, it’s important to adapt your driving habits to stay safe. Ice is a major cause of winter accidents because it's not always visible. Even if you're a seasoned icy-road driver, it's great to refresh yourself on best practices.

Prepare Your Vehicle

Safety starts with being prepared. Make sure your vehicle is up to date with its maintenance. Winter or all-weather tires with tread, and new wiper blades, brakes, and washer fluid will have your vehicle in optimal condition for winter weather travel. Additionally, services such as a 4-wheel alignment, tire rotation, brake fluid exchange and engine coolant check will contribute to preparing your vehicle for winter weather. Plan ahead with the MotorWorld | MileOne Autogroup service team by scheduling an appointment.

Buckle Up and Prep Your Car

You should wear your seat belt at all times, especially during icy conditions when accidents occur at a greater rate than normal. Don’t forget to turn on the defrost mode, too. You always need to keep your visibility clear, but especially in bad weather. This will also help you to spot potential dangers like skidding, slipping, or stalled cars blocking the road earlier than usual to give yourself additional time to react.

Slow Down

Seems like all drivers should know it’s important to reduce their speed when driving on icy roads, but some drivers think that snow tires, all-wheel drive (AWD), and electronic stability control (ESC) will keep you from losing control.

Good tires help to grip the pavement, AWD assists in accelerating and staying mobile, and electronic stability control helps to avoid spinouts, but even improved traction won't keep you safe if you're traveling at speeds too high for icy conditions. By reducing your speed, you give yourself a better chance to stop safely, stay on the road, and get where you're going safely. 

Don't Slam On the Brakes

When the roads are icy, you have to drive with greater caution and with slower, gentler actions. Brake softly, and try to avoid sudden hard stops that can initiate a spin. If you do find yourself skidding:

• Immediately,  take your foot off the gas pedal or brake
• Let the car naturally slow down and gain traction
• Steer in the direction you want the car to go
• As your traction improves, gently brake or accelerate as needed
• Avoid over steering or sudden sharp turns

If you're walking on ice and quickly twist your feet in another direction, most likely you'll fall. That's why people walk cautiously and prudently on icy patches. The same thing goes for driving your car. Sudden, quick, steering and braking maneuvers can cause you to skid.

Be Aware of Road Conditions

Check social media, TV, or your local radio station to see what meteorologists are saying about the weather. Low temperatures and even a few droplets of precipitation can make ice. Also, keep in mind:  black ice may look like an innocent puddle, but if you know it's 31 degrees outside and there's any kind of precipitation, you should treat the roads like a sheet of ice whether you can see it or not.