Safe Winter Driving

BE PREPARED
Check your tyres are properly inflated. Make sure you do not over-inflate your tyres. Normal road tyre pressure is recommended with using tyre chains.

Ensure you have good visibility. Scrape snow and ice from all windows and side mirrors. Remember to remove snow \from the headlights and brake lights if there has been a heavy snowfall. Do not use hot water to clear snow and ice off a cold windscreen – this can cause the windscreen to crack.

Check the weather forecast and road conditions before traveling. Choose safety over convenience when selecting your route. The New Zealand Automobile Association (AA) website has the latest national road report on ‘Roadwatch’.

Learn to read the conditions. Bridges and overpasses ice over faster than roads, they are more exposed and don’t have the warmth of the earth underneath. Gullies and shaded corners tend to ice over quicker and thaw slower than open road surfaces, as they are not exposed to direct sunlight.

Poor visibility and reduced traction combine to make winter driving extremely hazardous. Be aware of these challenges and drive to the conditions. If your vehicle starts slipping on the road in snow or ice, pull over to a safe place and fit a set of Snowsweat Chains to assist with traction and control.

LONG DISTANCE JOURNEYS
Increase your following distance when driving in hazardous conditions. Your vehicle will take longer to stop on a slippery surface like snow or ice.

Carry warm clothes in case you get stuck or breakdown. On long journeys carry blankets, extra food and water in the vehicle.

Load your chains in the car and make sure you know how to use them. Make sure they fit your current tyres.

If a set of Snowsweat Chains have been fitted, slow down, keep your speed consistent and avoid any sudden movements. Accelerate and
Accelerate and decelerate slowly, brake gently and avoid spinning or locking up your wheels.

Beware that driving on fresh snow is different to traveling on hard packed snow or ice. Hard packed snow will turn to ice when it freezes, making the conditions more dangerous at night and in the morning.

SAFE DRIVING TECHNIQUES
Four-wheel drive vehicles have a variety of different traction devices to assist drivers. These include diff-lock, electronic traction control, high and low ratio and other similar systems. These devices all help maintain traction, but only the driver will be able to exercise caution and drive safely.

For optimum traction on snow or ice, try to keep the vehicle moving without spinning the wheels. Operate the accelerator pedal gently. If you feel the vehicle start to wheel spin, ease back the pressure on the acceleratory pedal until you feel the tyres start to grip again. Keep your speed down.

When braking, operate the brake pedal gently to start with and then apply more pressure as the vehicle starts to slow. Apply brake pressure smoothly and progressively to avoid locking up the wheels.

On snow and ice brake on the straight before turning into a corner, then take the corner at a safe speed and accelerate again when the vehicle is straight. Braking or accelerating when the wheels are turning increases the chance of the vehicle sliding on a slippery surface.

In very deep snow tyre chains may have limited traction. To get grip the tyres need to be in contact with a hard surface that offers some traction. In very deep snow the tyres may not be able to get any traction, even with chains fitted.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
Some extra equipment is recommended for winter travelling:

• Jumper leads
• First aid kit
• Tow rope
• Ice scraper
• Large torch
• Spare batteries
• Blankets
• Water bottle
• Snow chains
• Wet weather gear
• Spare warm clothes