Tips for Driving Safely in the Snow

They laughed at my husband.

“You’re gonna get stuck,” they teased as they all stood around watching him put autosocks on his car.

Visiting from California, those native Iowans thought he’d lost his mind. How could he possibly drive in the ice and snow with socks?

“You need chains!”

My husband is what we affectionately call a research-a-holic. He doesn’t just read about something; he dives deep.

• Multiple articles
• case studies
• specification sheets
• You Tube videos
• Reviews.

If he says something is the best, I’ve learned to simply smile and say, “ok!”

Autosocks were one of those discoveries I wanted to debate, but I kept quiet for the sake of peace in the home.

Really. I forced myself to keep quiet and it was a good thing I did.

Once again, my husband proved he’s brilliant.

We moved into the mountains after spending most of our marriage in San Diego and he wanted us to be prepared for snow. So he dug in.

Being from Chicago, the man had nightmares about chains. If you love in snowy areas, you are well acquainted with the drama.

So he searched alternatives.

I still remember him staring at his computer and turning his head sideways, like a puppy trying to understand your last sentence. “Hmmm”

A few days, and many hours of research later, autosocks arrived at our home via AmazonPrime.

He couldn’t wait for it to snow so he could give them a spin.

His First Chance Came when He traveled to Iowa for Grandma’s Memorial Service.

Eight inches of snow fell during the memorial and he pulled out his new socks. Folks gathered ’round to see what the “crazy Californian” was doing to his car. Everyone lined the streets to mock him.

Family. Enough said.

He quickly slipped them over the tops of the tires, then drove forward and snapped them into place. All the bystanders gave the “yea, right head nod” as he drove away.

Mouths dropped open.

That day, many of his family members got stuck in the snow. But not my brilliant man.

I had my own opportunity to try the socks recently.

I kept sliding down the last hill to civilization. I needed to get to the grocery store, but the hill was a sheet of ice. I smiled at the son sitting next to me. “You get to learn how to use the autosocks today!”

My neighbor hung out the second story window and told me I was crazy. “You need chains to get up that hill!”

I smiled and told her about the socks.

She replied, “I’m just gonna hang out the window and watch you slide.”

Really, she’s wonderful. She’s kind, friendly, and helpful. She just couldn’t believe those things were going to work.

Her mouth dropped open as I drove right up the hill.

Tips for driving safely in the Snow

According to AAA, these tips will help keep you safer on the road:

• Stay home. Only go out if necessary. Even if you can drive well in bad weather, it’s better to avoid taking unnecessary risks by venturing out.
• Drive slowly. Always adjust your speed down to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice.
• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry and take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
• Increase your following distance to five to six seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
• Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
• Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
• Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads will just make your wheels spin. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly.
• Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.

Tips for Teaching Teens to Drive in the Snow by The Brad Connection

• Make sure you have the right equipment in the car (shovel, snow brush, ice scraper, etc)
• Turn on your lights so others can see you
• Drive slower and leave three times the room needed to stop
• Brake gently so you don’t skid
• Never use cruise control
• Be careful of ice on bridges and overpasses. “Black Ice” is transparent and may look like a wet spot but can put you in a spin.
• Four wheel drive doesn’t mean you can drive on ice or in snow at the regular speed.
• Don’t pass snow plows. Staying behind them can make a clear road for you to drive on.
• Brake gently and if your brakes lock up, ease off the brake

I know it’s tempting to go for a drive when it’s snowy and icy. It is truly beautiful. I’d recommend waiting for the roads to clear, but if you find yourself in need of being on the road, grab your socks!