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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the tires and the
road, you can have a very slippery situation. You have a
lot less traction, or grip, and need to be very careful.
What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
But wet ice can be even more trouble because it can
offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it
is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins
to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing,
or loose snow — drive with caution.
If your vehicle has the Traction Control System (TCS)
or the Enhanced Traction System (ETS), it will improve
your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery
road. Even though your vehicle has a traction system,
slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions.
Under certain conditions, you might want to turn
the TCS or ETS 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 4-6 or Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
on page 4-7.
If your vehicle does not have TCS or ETS, 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.
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