Time For T.O. To Winter Drive

December is bringing the first major snowfall of the season to the GTA and with it many drivers’ first real taste of the winter woes on the roads.

The slick conditions have already caused several accidents outside the city, and with the heavy volume on Toronto’s roads it will almost certainly happen all the way to the downtown core.

Among a few simple things you can do to make sure your car is ready for the cold are checking your oil and anti-freeze, carrying a de-icer for your keys and locks, and making sure to put winter tires on all four wheels.

“It’s astonishing that you can say at least a third of drivers aren’t prepared for the winter time,” said C.A.A.’s Edyta Zdanzewicz.

So what else can you do to ensure you’re not a part of the chaos? Here’s a look at advice from the C.A.A. on how to avoid those slippery moments on the streets.

Winter Driving Tips

1. Slow Down. If conditions are bad, adjust your driving habits accordingly. Leave earlier and take it slower. You won’t get there faster if you’re involved in a fender bender.

2. Keep Your Distance. It takes longer to stop when the roads are wet and slippery. Leaving more room between cars means you won’t have to slam on the brakes if you have a close encounter with the vehicle ahead of you.

3. Look Ahead. Paying attention to what’s happening several cars in front of you will tell what you’re heading into, and allow you time to avoid the worst.

Rear Wheel Skids

1. Take your foot off the brake if the rear wheels skid due to hard or panic braking.

2. Ease off the gas pedal if the rear wheels lose traction due to hard acceleration.

3. Shift to neutral.

4. Look down the road in the direction you want the front of the car to go and be sensitive to the feel of the car and how it’s responding to your steering.

5. To regain control of the vehicle, steer gently in the direction of the skid of the rear of the vehicle. Just before the skid ends, bring the front wheels straight. Sometimes the vehicle will skid in the opposite direction, so you may have to repeat the movement until the vehicle stabilizes.

6. Once the vehicle is straight, return to a driving gear and accelerate gently so that engine speed matches road speed.

Front Wheel Skids

1. If the front wheels skid from hard braking, release the brake. If the wheels spin from loss of traction due to acceleration, ease off on the accelerator.

2. Shift to neutral.

3. If the front wheels have been turned prior to the loss of traction, don’t move the steering wheel. Since the wheels are skidding sideways, a certain amount of braking force will be extended.

4. Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again. When traction returns, you’ll regain steering control.

5. Return to a driving gear and gently steer in the direction you want to travel. Gently accelerate until engine speed matches road speed.

Four Wheel Skids

1. Remove your foot from the brake or accelerator.

2. Shift into neutral.

3. Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.

4. Wait for the wheels to grip the road again. As soon as the wheels regain traction, you’ll wind up in the direction you want to go.

5. Return to a driving gear and maintain a safe speed.

ABS Braking

This one’s the opposite to the others. If you have the ABS System in your car, don’t pump the brakes or take your foot off the pedal. The system is designed to stop your wheels from locking if you slam to a stop, and allow you to continue to control the car.
If you do wind up pumping the brakes out of habit, they may pulse back against your foot as a reminder you’re not riding them right.

Hidden Dangers

Remember, what you can’t see can hurt you. Watch for the three hidden hazards of winter driving:

-Black ice: The most deceptive of all cold weather woes. It’s invisible to the eye and can form before you’re even aware of it. If the pavement looks shiny and black instead of a grayish-white, be suspicious.

-Bridges and overpass: They tend to ice over first, and provide the most chance you’ll slide into the guy next to you.

-Intersections: They also get slippery faster because of all the car exhaust and packed snow that surrounds them. And more people are likely to slip when making a turn at a corner.

Emergency Kit

Do you have these in your car?

Shovel
Sand, salt or kitty litter
Traction mats
Tow chain
Compass
Cloth or roll of paper towels
Warning light or road flares
Extra clothing and footwear
Emergency food pack
Axe or hatchet
Booster cables
Ice scraper and brush
Road maps
Matches and a ‘survival’ candle in a deep can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
Fire extinguisher
Methyl hydrate (for fuel line and windshield de-icing)