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If your vehicle has the Traction Control System
(TCS), it will improve your ability to accelerate when
driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle
has a traction system you will want to slow down
and adjust your driving to the road conditions.
Under certain conditions, you may want to turn the
TCS off, such as when driving through deep snow
and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at
lower speeds. See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 256.
If your vehicle does not have TCS, accelerate
gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you
accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin
and polish the surface under the tires even more.
Unless your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), you will want to brake very gently,
too. If your vehicle does have ABS, see Anti-Lock
Brake System (ABS) on page 253. ABS improves
your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Whether your vehicle has ABS
or not, you will want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. Without ABS, if you
feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes
a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to get
the most traction you can.
Remember, unless your vehicle has ABS, if you
brake so hard that the wheels stop rolling, your
vehicle will just slide. Brake so the wheels always
keep rolling and you can still steer.
• Whatever your vehicle’s braking system, allow
greater following distance on any slippery road.
• Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
fine until you hit a spot that is covered with ice.
On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot
reach, such as around clumps of trees, behind
buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the
surface of a curve or an overpass may remain
icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you
see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before
you are on it. Try not to brake while you are
actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
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