Proper lighting and smooth maneuvers: 10 tips for safe driving during a snowstorm.

Heavy snowfall can lead to significant traffic disruptions and numerous accidents. Winter roads covered in snow and ice pose a challenge even for experienced drivers. Here are some practical tips to help you manage driving in unfavorable conditions, as reported by the auto goods store blog “103”.

Maintain Distance

Even in such challenging road conditions, drivers often crowd closely together. This can lead to minor collisions, accidents, and traffic jams. Therefore, it’s crucial to maintain at least the recommended distance and lateral space on snowy roads, taking into account your vehicle's speed and size. It's even better to slightly increase the distance for added safety.

Smooth Maneuvers

Often, small snowdrifts remain between the main traffic lanes that are cleared by road services. To avoid trouble when changing lanes, it’s advisable to choose the optimal angle for entering and exiting. A simple rule applies here: the sharper the angle of entry and exit onto such a snowy area, the better. This rule allows the driver to make these maneuvers as smoothly as possible, and thus safely. Remember, during any lane changes or overtaking in snow conditions, never turn the steering wheel at a large angle. Avoid sudden movements and excessive acceleration.

Use Lights Properly

During daylight hours, all vehicles should use daytime running lights (DRL) or low beam headlights for visibility. However, there is a small nuance. If you follow traffic rules and turn on the DRL, keep in mind that the rear lights will not illuminate, making it difficult for others to see your vehicle in heavy snowfall. Therefore, in snowstorms, it's better to use low beam headlights, and you might even consider using fog lights.

Plan Your Route

If you plan to drive during a snowstorm, always allow extra time for your journey, at least 1.5 to 2 times more. Winter roads may take longer due to traffic jams or accidents. If everything isn’t anticipated in advance, you may find yourself rushing, which is very dangerous on snowy roads. It’s best to set out early and pay close attention to the road.

Stay Oriented on the Road

Often, in poor visibility, drivers can become disoriented and start to drift, with some even occupying two lanes simultaneously because they can’t navigate properly. This is a common occurrence during heavy snowfall.

To orient yourself, simply look for signs indicating traffic directions. If signs are absent, remember that in urban areas, the standard width of a traffic lane is approximately 2.75 – 3 meters. Try to visualize how many of these 3-meter lanes can fit on the road you’re currently driving. This way, you can roughly determine how many lanes there are and where their boundaries might be.

Keep Both Hands on the Wheel

Maintaining control of your vehicle is especially important in challenging conditions. In such situations, adjusting direction with one hand can be very difficult, and grabbing the steering wheel with the other hand may simply not be possible. Therefore, always keep both hands firmly on the wheel in adverse weather conditions.

Accelerate and Brake Smoothly

Experts in extreme driving recommend that on snowy or icy roads, you should always press the accelerator pedal smoothly. The same applies to braking. If the car starts to skid (in a front-wheel-drive vehicle), you can try to stabilize it; in this case, do not brake at all. Instead, you should accelerate, despite your instincts.

Avoid Deep Snow

Never attempt to drive into deep snow, even if you have a large SUV. It can be visually challenging to assess the actual depth of the snow, which may result in your vehicle getting stuck. This is a very inconvenient situation, as getting out can be extremely difficult without assistance.

Safe Turns

When making turns, it’s important to be very cautious, as accelerating here is not recommended. Such actions can cause the vehicle to veer into oncoming traffic. An experienced driver knows that you should enter any turn very carefully, maintaining a steady speed. Before the turn, it’s better to ease off the accelerator, and then slightly increase speed as you exit the turn.

How to Get Out of a Snowdrift

It’s important to remember that any vehicle will find it easier to get out of snow with the wheels straight. However, in some cases, it might help to gently turn the steering wheel left and right at small angles. This can assist if the tires manage to grip something, such as the edge of the road. In this case, the vehicle may be able to drive out of the snowdrift. If you cannot get out on your own, you will need to seek assistance.

Following these rules will make your winter journeys safer and help you avoid troubles on the road.