BT Holds Winter Survival Driving Clinic
Posted February 6, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
If you thought your Wednesday morning commute was tough, you haven’t seen anything yet. The drive home was even worse.
But if you attended Breakfast Television‘s special winter survival driving clinic you might have picked up some pointers that could save your life on treacherous road conditions.
Along with free driving tips, the clinic – set-up on the Queensway – offered free windshield washer fill-ups.
“If you don’t have the skill set and your car’s not equipped, you really just should not be out there,” said Doug Annette from the Skid Control School. “We’ve spent the whole morning teaching people some skid control and some useful tips …if your car does start to slide.
“Look where you want to go. Don’t look at the police car, because that’s what you’re going to end up hitting. Drive like you’ve got a cup of water on your dashboard.”
Extra OPP officers and plow operators were on hand making sure the highways were clear and safe.
“We really need people to slow down and also remember to move over when you see stopped emergency vehicles,” said OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley.
It turns out his advice saved one driver from serious harm.
“I was on the 407 eastbound, coming on to the 400 north ramp and I was going just a little bit under the speed limit,” recounts a motorist named Robin. “I heard Cam’s message this morning, and top of mind and so maybe doing 80 kilometres or less and the truck just started going sideways. I was heading into a bank of vehicles on the side of the highway. There was an overturned truck on the highway and it was just black ice …
“If it wasn’t for the message this morning, it might not have been on the top of my mind, to slow down a bit. I steered out of it, and everything was good. So … I appreciate the message and in this case, I think it worked. I owe him one.”
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.
