During these winter months, we always like to give out some winter weather driving tips to everyone.  At DriveSmart, our priority is to not only keep your vehicle safe but to also keep you and your family safe on the roads.  

Winter driving can be a very dangerous and high-stress experience, especially during a winter storm that causes the roads to be full of snow and even worse ice.  Let’s dive into our DriveSmart Ice Driving Safety tips so that we can help you avoid your car sliding on ice.  

Hydroplaning on Ice

While the term hydroplaning typically refers to wet roadways, it is still possible to slip and slide on the ice.  Hydroplaning on ice can be extremely dangerous to not only yourself but to other people on the road. If you notice that you are driving on an icy road, you can feel your car sliding a bit.  The best thing to do is to reduce your speed further below the speed limit and leave a ton of space between you and any vehicles in front of you.  

In the event that your vehicle does suffer from an ice hydroplane and it begins to slide, avoid slamming on your brakes.  When your car starts to slide, you will want to give gentle down and up hits on the brakes, but do NOT slam on the brakes.  If you slam on your brakes while on ice, you could skid out of control.  

Finally, if you notice that your vehicle has begun hydroplaning but on ice, never ever use the cruise-control system in your vehicle.  This is because your cruise control will be applying power to your vehicle, which will make your wheel-spin system terrible. You can easily lose total control of your vehicle by using cruise control on ice-covered roadways.  

Black Ice

The nickname for ice that is hard to see, is called “black ice” because it blends into the pavement of the roadways. This is the most dangerous type of ice to come across on the roads because you can’t see it. Black ice will typically start to form during the night of a winter storm and into the early morning until the sun manages to warm the roads.  

If you are driving your vehicle, and you drive into a patch of black ice which causes your vehicle to start to slide, the most important thing to do is to take a deep breath and stay calm.  If you overreact, you could put yourself into a situation where you might panic. 

The best thing to do is to let off your vehicle, and let your car traverse the ice nice and slowly by just using very gentle movements on the steering wheel. Use the minimum amount of braking as possible to avoid skidding.  

General Icy Driving Tips

The best advice that we can give here at DriveSmart during an icy winter drive is to drive slow.  Take your time on the roads and remember that it always takes longer for your vehicle to come to a complete stop on icy roads.  Keep a greater distance between yourself and any other vehicles in front of you, and never push your vehicle to go up a hill. This could cause your wheels to spin out.  

In the event that during a winter storm, your vehicle suffers from a malfunction or breakdown, you should be protected with a DriveSmart Protection Plan.  All you would need to do is call the free 24/7 roadside assistance hotline number that we would provide to you, and a tow truck would pick you up and take your vehicle to the nearest repair shop.  The best part about it is that DriveSmart would pay for your vehicle’s repair, to get you back on the road and help you avoid paying out of pocket for expensive auto repair bills.