Self-Help Advice for Families and Individuals
Winter Driving

Contents Introduction Tune up your car Winter car survival kit Keep control of your vehicle Braking Additional information

Why not keep this information in your glove compartment?

Winter driving
Winter travel by automobile can be serious business. Be prepared. If you do a lot of winter driving in isolated regions, you might consider having a citizens' band radio.
*9-1-1 is a free call to police and ambulance on your cellular phone.

Heed the warnings
Local weather offices of Environment Canada issue warnings of impending blizzards, heavy snow, freezing rain or drizzle, cold waves and winds.

Know the hazards

Check the following systems

Prepare the driver
If you must drive in bad weather, think caution, plan ahead and make sure you have enough fuel. Try to keep the fuel tank at least half-full.

Be alert, well-rested and sober behind the wheel. Check mirrors and environment controls before you start. Don't forget to wear your seat belt and to ensure all children are correctly positioned in appropriate child car seats and booster seats. Children aged 12 and under should ride properly buckled up in the back seat.

See and be seen. Clear all snow from the hood, roof, windows and lights. Clear all windows of fog. If visibility becomes poor, find a place to safely pull off the road as soon as possible. It's best to stop at a rest area or exit the roadway and go to a protected area.

If the roadside is your only option, pull off the road as far as you can. Other drivers frequently strike vehicles parked at the side of the road. In reduced visibility, you should make sure your emergency flashers are on to alert other drivers.

Check weather and travel conditions before heading out. Give yourself extra time for travel and, if weather is bad, wait for conditions to improve. Plan your route and let someone know which way you'll be travelling, your destination and expected arrival time, especially when driving long distances. If you don't turn up after a reasonable delay, people will know where to search for you. If the going gets tough, turn back or seek refuge.

• Try to keep to the main roads and drive with caution, measuring your speed to road and weather conditions.
  
  
• Avoid passing another vehicle, if possible, when weather and road conditions are bad.
  
  
• Wear warm clothes that do not restrict movement.

It's a good idea to take a cellphone with you. It can be very valuable, especially in an emergency or if you need help. But don't talk and drive. Drivers should not use a cellphone while the vehicle is in motion. Let a passenger call for you or pull over to a safe spot to place a call for assistance.

• shovel
  
• sand or cat litter
  
• traction mats
  
• tow chain
  
• compass
  
• cloth or roll of paper towels
  
• warning light or road flares
  
• extra clothing and footwear
  
• emergency food pack
  
• booster cables
  
• ice scraper and brush
  
• matches and a "survival" candle in a deep can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
  
• fire extinguisher
  
• extra windshield washer fluid
  
• fuel line antifreeze

The following items should be kept in the cab of your car.

• road maps
• flashlight
• first aid kit
• blanket (special "survival" blankets are best)

If you get trapped in a storm or snow-bank, don't panic!
Avoid overexertion and exposure. Shovelling and bitter cold can kill. Stay in your car. You won't get lost and you'll have shelter.

• Keep fresh air in your car. Open a window on the side sheltered from the wind.
• Run your motor sparingly. Beware of exhaust fumes and the possibility of carbon monoxide. Ensure the tailpipe is not blocked by snow.
• Use the candle for heat, instead of the car's heater, if possible.
• Set out a warning light or flares. Put on the dome light. (Overuse of headlights may run your battery down.)
• Exercise your limbs vigorously. Keep moving and don't fall asleep. Keep watch for traffic or searchers.
• Wear a hat, as you can lose up to 60 percent of your body heat through your head.
  
  

Keep control of your vehicle to avoid collisions
Winter collisions can occur when your vehicle skids. Remember that not all vehicles respond in the same way to icy, slippery roads. You must know how to handle your vehicle and how it responds in various weather conditions. Consult your owner's manual and familiarize yourself with your vehicle's braking system and tire traction. You may want to consider taking a driver education course that teaches emergency driving techniques.

Skids can best be avoided by driving for conditions, slowing down, allowing extra time to get to your destination and anticipating lane changes, turns and curves. Also recommended: slow down in advance, make smooth, precise movements of the steering wheel, be sensitive to how your vehicle is steering.

Even careful and experienced drivers experience skids. Don't panic! Learn to handle skids and remember that, sometimes, the vehicle will skid a second and even third time after the initial skid.

1. Take your foot off the brake if the rear wheels skid due to hard or panic braking.
   
   
2. Ease off the gas pedal if the rear wheels lose traction due to hard acceleration (rear-wheel drive).
   
   
3. Shift to neutral.
   
   
4. Look down the road in the direction you want the front of the car to go; be sensitive to the feel of the car and how it is responding to your steering.
   
   
5. To regain control of the vehicle, steer gently in the direction of the skid of the rear of the vehicle. Just before the skid ends, bring the front wheels straight. Sometimes the vehicle will skid in the opposite direction, so you may have to repeat the movement until the vehicle stabilizes.
   
   
6. Once the vehicle is straight, return to a driving gear and accelerate gently so that engine speed matches road speed.
   

Front-wheel skids
Front-wheel skids are caused by hard braking or acceleration and by entering a curve too fast. When the front wheels lose traction, you lose steering ability. The best way to regain control if the front wheels skid is:

1. If the front wheels skid from hard braking, release the brake. If the wheels spin from loss of traction due to acceleration, ease off on the accelerator (front-wheel drive).
   
   
2. Shift to neutral.
   
   
3. If the front wheels have been turned prior to the loss of traction, don't move the steering wheel. Since the wheels are skidding sideways, a certain amount of braking force will be extended.
   
   
4. Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again. When traction returns, you'll regain steering control.
   
   
5. Return to a driving gear and gently steer in the direction you want to travel. Gently accelerate until engine speed matches road speed.

Four-wheel skids
Sometimes all four wheels lose traction -- generally at high speeds under adverse conditions. The most effective way to get your vehicle back under control when all four wheels skid is:

1. Remove your foot from the brake or accelerator.
   
   
2. Shift into neutral.
   
   
3. Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
   
   
4. Wait for the wheels to grip the road again. As soon as the wheels regain traction, you will travel in the direction you want to go.
   
   
5. Return to a driving gear and maintain a safe speed. NOTE: Avoid using overdrive on slippery surfaces.
   

Braking

To survive on the road in winter, proper braking is essential.

Stopping on a slippery surface requires more space, so increase your following distance. Focus your attention as far ahead as possible.

The best way to stop on a slippery surface is to use threshold or controlled braking and shift to neutral. If you don't have anti-lock brakes, the best way to use threshold or controlled braking is to keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use your toes to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal. Stop just short of locking the wheels.

If your heel leaves the floor, the ball of your foot pushes the pedal. The wheels lock because you're controlling the brake with your thigh muscles which are incapable of finer control.

Under the stress of trying to stop quickly, drivers almost inevitably over-react and lock the wheels. If this happens, release brake pressure one or two degrees, then immediately reapply it with slightly less pressure.

Anti-lock brakes are designed to prevent wheels from locking and allow continued steering control during panic braking. Sensors located at wheels detect lock-up. The anti-lock system relieves enough pressure to allow the wheel to turn, maintaining steering control.

Do not remove your foot from the brake or pump the pedal. If you apply too much brake pressure and the wheels lock momentarily, you might feel the brake pedal pulse back against your foot. Pumping the pedal works against the system by providing false information.

Additional information

Produced in cooperation with the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA)

Please contact your provincial/territorial emergency management organization (EMO) for regional or local information on emergency preparedness. For general information or to order our self-help brochures, please contact us.

ISBN 0-662-30885-9
Catalogue No. D83-4/1-2001E
© Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Revised July 2003