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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.
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.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you
have ABS, begin stopping sooner
than you would on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) on page 8-18.
• 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.
You can run the engine to keep
warm, but be careful.
8-28 Driving and Operating