Third Coast Auto Group Official Blog
How to drive cautiously if it snows in Austin, and correct a skid safely
By Product Expert | Posted in Tips and Tricks on Friday, January 5th, 2018 at 7:41 pm
We don’t get much ice or snow here in Austin (thank goodness), but when it arrives that also means many people are unprepared. With the Polar Vortex messing up weather across the country, we thought we would blog a little about being ready in the case of crazy ice. The best way to drive safely in ice and snow is to drive slowly, and expect that your brakes may have more trouble than usual bringing you to a stop. But if the worst should happen, how can you correct a car slide on ice? We have the three steps for that below.
How can you correct a car slide on ice?
Take Foot Off the Gas
The first step in being safe if your car loses traction is to take your foot off the gas. A vehicle will often correct if there is no more power going to the wheels. And, you will be able to better reclaim control without worrying about driving fast into something.
Apply Break Lightly
If you need to break, do not slam on the brake pedal. That is a great way to make the problem worse, and lose even more control of your vehicle. Instead, lightly tape the break. This can give you the control to correct the slide, skid or fishtail without throwing things more out of whack.
Steering into the Skid
When your car starts to slide or fishtail, ideally it will stop when you take your foot off the accelerator, but sometimes that isn’t enough. In those cases, you want to steer into the skid. In a front-wheel drive vehicle, if the rear of your car is sliding to the right, you want to turn your steering wheel to the right. This can help straighten your vehicle and keep you safely on the road.
While getting your car ready for winter in Austin may be different from places with more snow and ice, it’s still good to be prepared for hazardous driving that may arrive. Thank you for reading!
