Driving on ice or snow requires special care. Snow, which has already fallen in many parts of Greece, creates traps on the road surface, which the driver should be aware of.

When driving on snow, the car’s tank must be full. The braking distance on snow and ice is 10 times longer than on a dry road. Thus, this factor should be kept in mind when he wants to reach his destination on time. So that should quadruple the safe distance. The distance from the person in front should be sufficient to stop his car without any problems. It should even predict the movements of other drivers.

The dipped beam (dipped) light must always be on so that they can see us, but also so that snow does not fall on them. If the driver needs to put on chains or snow covers, he must know how to put them on. Chains or snow covers are put on the drive wheels, while the maximum speed should not exceed 50 km / h.

The driver must keep his car clean, because in this way he will reduce its corrosion, mainly from the salt present on the road. Particular attention should be paid to bridges and overpasses. On such surfaces, ice forms faster. He must also take care of proper visibility, headlights on and a clean windshield.

When he’s about to park his car for a few hours, it’s good not to pull the handbrake too hard because it freezes and won’t come back. Alternatively, he may use wedges.

If he suspects it will snow, he should lift the wipers off the windshield so they don’t stick to the ice. At very low temperatures, forget about mudguards. Water even with antifreeze instantly freezes, becomes covered with an ice film and you need a special scraper or wait a long time for the radiator to work so that the ice on the windows melts.

The driver should always apply a little pressure on the accelerator when pulling away, and it is good to have the engine at low revs when changing gears. When changing direction, maneuvers should be slow and progressive, since on snow and especially on ice, the change of direction and, in general, the change in the kinetic state of the car should be as smooth as possible.

If the driver cannot safely overtake, it is recommended to give way to the vehicle in front. The radiator must be in good condition and provide the ideal temperature in the cabin.

Finally, when the car is skidding in the snow, the driver should drive in the direction of the skid (inverted steering wheel), do not brake hard and try to correct the course with smooth steering movements.

Source: RES-IPE