Driving tips from the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Colorado
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Driving on ice and snow can be treacherous, especially in areas like Southern Illinois where motorists don't deal with adverse conditions all winter.
Mark Cox, director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Colorado, offered several tips for getting around on the ice and snow during winter.
Think ahead
"One of the main things is when you have a low-traction surface it takes longer to stop," Cox said.
Motorists should think ahead before stopping and take it slow.
"A study a couple years ago showed 80 percent of all accidents could have been prevented if the driver had one more second to react," Cox said.
In winter driving conditions, motorists should try to give themselves that extra second by taking it slow, planning out a route and thinking about what could be ahead, Cox said.
Skidding
Even with a well-planned route and forethought, a rough patch of ice or snow could cause a car to go into a skid. The old adage of turning into a skid only applies in certain situations, Cox said.
There are two kinds of skids, rear-wheel skids and front-wheel skids. If the rear wheels skid, calmly steer into the skid - point the wheel in the direction you would rather be going - and accelerate smoothly, Cox said.
In a front-wheel skid, which takes place in a curve or turn, take your foot off the accelerator and turn back toward straight a slight amount, Cox said. This allows the front wheel to regain grip and start rolling again.
"That one definitely goes against your instinct. I'm telling you to turn into the cliff you are trying to avoid, which is tough," Cox said.
Don't drive too fast - or too slow.
Driving too fast causes obvious problems. But driving too slow is not a good idea either, especially in traffic. Vehicles bunching up on the highway creates more chances for accidents.
"If there is a line of traffic behind you, you need to make way," Cox said.
Getting stuck
The possibility of becoming stuck occurs when a car goes off the road, or when a motorist is trying to enter traffic, a new road or when coming out of a driveway.
Rocking back and forth in order to gain headway in one direction or another is a good idea, as long as you don't get overzealous and start spinning the tires, Cox said. Spinning the tires cases ice to build up underneath the tires, making things worse than they were in the first place.
A vehicle's plastic or rubber floor mats could be useful for a stuck vehicle. Upturned floor mats could give a motorist just enough traction to get the car moving again, Cox said.
Brakes
Every driver should know whether he has anti-lock brakes, Cox said. In cars that do not have anti-lock brakes, pumping the brakes is probably still the best way to get the car to stop in an emergency situation. But in a car with anti-lock brakes, hitting the brakes as hard as you can will tell the computer to pump the brakes, Cox said.
Drivers should be familiar with the feel of their brakes under all circumstances, Cox said.
When driving in challenging conditions, determine how much traction, or grip, is available. Make sure no one is behind you and hit the brakes firmly until the wheels lock up. This will give a clear indication of the grip available. Over the course of a long trip, a driver should repeat this test to monitor grip.
Icy spots
Motorists should look for icy spots as much as possible. Bridges and overpasses ice over faster than the rest of the road because the ground under the road tends to be warmer, thus keeping the road warmer for a while longer than bridges and overpasses.
Shaded areas cool more quickly than sunny, open areas. Ice will form in areas that never get direct sunlight, so motorists should be ready when driving through areas shaded by trees, hills or buildings.