Common questions

What speed should you go if roads are icy?

What speed should you go if roads are icy?

The #1 icy road driving tip: Reduce your speed. Slowing down is the most important thing to do when driving on ice and snow. High speeds make it both easy to lose control and difficult to stop. You should never be driving faster than 45mph in any vehicle when roads are icy – not even on highways!

What should you do if your car starts to slide on an icy roadway?

It’s important, that you do so gently and avoid jerking the steering wheel. If your front wheels begin to slide, take your foot off the accelerator and allow the vehicle to slow. After a few seconds, if you still don’t have control of your vehicle, lightly press the brake, very gently.

Which way do you steer when sliding on ice?

Turn your front wheels in the same direction that the rear of the vehicle is sliding. You’ve also heard about “turning into the slide”. These both mean the same thing. For example, if the back of your car slides to the right, turn the wheel to the right.

How to correct a slide on an icy road?

There are three points to remember about oversteer slide correction. Don’t hit your brakes: Braking triggers slides and makes existing slides worse! Turn into the slide: Turn your wheels in the direction the back of the vehicle is sliding. Don’t panic and don’t overcorrect: Overcorrecting may send the car into an unrecoverable spin.

Do you need to turn the wheel to correct a slide?

The amount you’ll need to turn the wheel is proportional to how far and how fast the back of your car is sliding. A small slide will only require a slight steering motion. What often makes correcting slide so difficult is that once your car begins to respond to you turning the wheel, it will often snap back in the other direction.

Is it possible to correct a slide at 70km / H?

The higher the speed, the more difficult it is to correct a slide. Most slides or fishtails that happen above 45mph (70km/h) require very quick and precise steering to correct, and are beyond the ability of most drivers to successfully manage.

What’s the best speed to drive on Ice?

If you drive at a safe speed on ice and snow(45mph / 70km/h or less) and avoid sudden braking, acceleration or turns, you won’t need to worry about correcting anything – a much better outcome. The higher the speed, the more difficult it is to correct a slide.

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Ruth Doyle