How can I drive safely in the snow and what do I do if I get stuck?

He 24% of car accidents related to weather conditions occur from driving in the snow, on snowy or icy pavementand 15% occurs during snowfall.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), a branch of the Department of Transportation, around 900 people die each year, and 76,000 are injured as a result of car accidents during snowfall or frost

Given the, according to information from the Department of Transportation70% of American highways are in regions where it snows, in factchecked We explain what to do before taking the car during the winter season, and how to act, once on the road, with these weather conditions.

What to do before driving in the snow?

The American Automobile Association (AAA), a non-profit organization that operates in the United States and Canada, recommends that in these weather conditions you try stay at home. He clearly says that the safest thing is “not to leave the house if it is not necessary.”

For its part, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends, as a first point, to carry some tools and utensils in the car:

• Snow shovel, broom and ice scraper.
• Sand (in case the vehicle gets stuck in the snow).
• Cables to pass current, flashlight and emergency triangles.
• Blankets for the cold.
• Cell phone / mobile with charger, food and basic medicines.

In case it is an internal combustion engine (gasoline or diesel), the NHTSA recommends keep the tank full possible before starting the trip.

What happens to electric cars in snowfall?

In the case of electric vehicles, the recommendation is to reduce energy expenditure as much as possible. These cars use the same electric motor not only to get around, but to keep at temperatureso the ideal is not to leave them outdoors or in cold places when they are not being used.

Additionally, NHTSA recommends charge car batteries during the night, which is when they are exposed to lower temperatures. It also highlights the importance of knowing the route beforehand.

All of this is especially important at this time, since the projections map of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mark precipitation in the form of snowsleet and freezing rain over various regions of the country for January 31 and the first week of February 2023, in addition to temperatures that could reach even 20° Celsius lower than usual in places like Montana, Minnesota or St. Louis.

I am already on the road, what should I take into account before driving in the snow?

The NHTSA reminds that tires lose pressure when they are at low temperatureswith which, if the vehicle has not moved in the last 3 hours, they must be checked.

Despite the cold, the engine runs the risk of overheating, due to the additional effort it places on a car move through the snow. Hence, they recommend making sure that the coolant container is full.

Having the windshield washer tank full is also part of the official recommendations.

The American Automobile Association also lists a number of considerations for the walk.

• Drive slowly to maintain tire traction.
• Make speed changes, be they acceleration or deceleration, gradually.
• Extend the margin with respect to the vehicles that go ahead. Braking is more difficult when the ground is wet, snowy or icy, so a greater distance makes it easier to stop in time if necessary.
• Don’t stop if you don’t have to.
• Do not over-accelerate on the slopes, instead, take advantage of the inertia of previous descents. This is to prevent the wheels from spinning and the engine from overheating.

Jaime Gabaldonichain journalist Univision specialized in automobiles, explains that the “basic dynamics for driving on snow or ice is to maintain a constant acceleration; Do not brake or accelerate abruptly. Inertia, with the lack of traction on the tires due to the state of the ground, causes skidding or loss of control when attempting maneuvers like this. He also suggests, in this tutorialavoid sudden changes in direction of the steering wheel and, if a road accident is observed, try not to look at the place of the accident but rather the direction in which you want to go .

I got stuck in the snow, what should I do?

The NHTSA highlights the need to carry warning triangles or some other warning device because, in the event of a traffic jam, it is important to be seen and notify other drivers of the mishap.

The next thing is to contact the emergency services of the state in which you are transiting. In this linkthe University of Oklahoma collects the numbers from around the country.

The AAA also recommends contacting the insurance company with which you are affiliated.

Inside the car, Gabaldoni indicates that the first thing to do is deactivate the electronic traction control, if the vehicle has it. In it’s video he explains that this is “because the wheels must be able to move freely.”

Immediately afterwards, according to the specialized journalist, you have to “rock the car”; small movements back and forth to pack the snow under the vehicle and move the snow around it.

If going forward and backward is not possible, another way to do it is to turn the steering wheel to both sides.

When trying to move out of the stuck point, the same indication applies as on the highway: a constant acceleration, without accelerating excessively.

If the outside conditions do not represent a danger, the NHTSA recommendation to carry a shovel is to precisely remove the snow that may have accumulated around the vehicle.

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