Winter Driving Tips for Area Drivers

BISMARCK-MANDAN, 11-21-13 –Chilly weather has arrived in Bismarck-Mandan, which means it’s

time for a winter driving refresher to help area residents stay safe on the roads this season.

Snow affects people in more parts of the country than you might realize – in fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, over 70 percent of the nation’s roads are located in snowy regions and nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population lives in these regions.

“It might seem obvious that snowfall and icy and wet roads make driving more dangerous,” Bob Kupper of Kupper Chevrolet. “But it’s something that Bismarck-Mandan-area drivers need to carefully account for before getting on the road this winter.”

Before Bismarck-Mandan-area drivers embark on their first winter drive of the season, here are some tips from OnStar on how to “winter-ize” their vehicles:

Understand Your Vehicle: Familiarize yourself with the different traction and stability control systems and make sure you have the system you’d like to use turned on. Most manufacturers offer stability control systems and some have selections for Winter, Sport and other modes.

Have Back-up for Your Cell Phone: Have a lifeline in your vehicle, like OnStar. OnStar’s automatic crash response system can find your exact location – even when weather conditions might make it difficult to see you. OnStar also has a dedicated cell phone built-in (a back-up in case your phone’s cell reception is not working or your phone battery is dead) and have EMD trained emergency advisors who can provide medical instructions until help arrives.

Prep Your Windshield: Repair cracks and stone chips before the cold weather sets in to prevent further cracking in cold temperatures. Do NOT drive until your windshield and windows are defogged and clear of ice or snow.  Be sure to have a windshield scraper/brush to keep all windows clean.

Prepare for Roadside Assistance: Keep snow boots and gloves, a shovel, cell phone and charger, a flash light and other helpful items handy. If you plan to use a tow strap or jumper cables, be sure you know how to use them safely.  If you have a roadside assistance service, make sure to have that phone number readily available or use your OnStar which comes standard with roadside assistance at no additional cost.

Electric vehicles: Owners of EVs need to prepare for cold weather by checking their battery life. EV’s have a shorter driving range in cold weather so keep your battery fully charged in case of an emergency. If you have an extended range electric vehicle, like the Chevrolet Volt, make sure to keep fuel in the tank as a backup plan.

OnStar is also offering Bismarck-Mandan-area drivers some tips to consider while they’re driving on the road this winter.

Accelerate slowly to reduce wheel spin. If starting from a standstill on slick snow or ice, start in second gear if you have a manual transmission or gear-selectable automatic so the vehicle is less likely to spin the tires.

Reduce your speed and drive smoothly. In slippery conditions, tires lose their grip more easily, affecting all aspects of your driving: braking, turning, and accelerating. Keeping the speeds down will give you more time to react to slippage or a possible collision, and it will lessen the damage should things go wrong.

Allow longer braking distances. Plan on starting your braking sooner than you normally would in dry conditions to give yourself extra room, and use more gentle pressure on the brake pedal.

Don’t lock your wheels when braking. Locked wheels can make the vehicle slide or skid. If you have an older vehicle without an antilock braking system (ABS), you may need to gently apply the brakes repeatedly in a pulsing motion to avoid having them lock up the wheels. If your vehicle has ABS, simply depress the brake pedal firmly and hold it down. The shuddering sounds and pedal feeling is expected (don’t lift off the brake); the system is doing its job.

Perform one action at a time when accelerating, braking, and turning. Asking a vehicle to do two things at once–such as braking and turning, or accelerating and turning–can reduce your control. When taking a turn on a slippery surface, for instance, slowly apply the brakes while the vehicle is going straight.

Avoid sudden actions when cornering. A sudden maneuver–such as hard braking, a quick turn of the steering wheel, sudden acceleration, or shifting a manual transmission – can upset a vehicle’s dynamics when it’s taking a turn. Rapidly transferring the weight from one end or corner to another can throw a car off balance. In slick conditions, this can cause it to more easily go out of control.

Be ready to correct for a slide. Should the rear end of the vehicle begin to slide during a turn, gently let off on the accelerator and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide. This will help straighten it out. Electronic stability control will also help keep control in a slide situation.

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