Filter
Top Products
Unless your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System
(ABS), you will want to brake very gently, too. If you
do have ABS, see Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-4. ABS improves your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Whether
your vehicle has ABS or not, 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, you 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 can 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 can 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.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
• Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
• Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
• Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
floor mats — anything you can wrap around yourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
4-19