4-wheel drive does NOT equal 4-wheel stop- Review of our Winter Driving Tips

The snow started about 12:00 pm and the 3 mile "country" drive to my children's school today took about 20 minutes. Even though my road has already been plowed, there were many cars and trucks are on the side of the road. A Ford F-250 pulled out a Chevy, then the Chevy pulled out the Ford. My best tip that I like to tell my husband (in the Ford), is 4-wheel drive does NOT mean 4-wheel STOP!

Winter Driving Tips- Travel SLOWLY and GENTLY

Improve your VISIBILITY by clearing all snow and ice from your vehicle BEFORE you start driving. Don't wait for it to melt off after you have reached your destination.

Use your LOW BEAMS when driving in an ice or snow storm. You'll have better visibility.

Allow for greater STOPPING DISTANCE during snow and ice storms. In order to bring your car to a safe stop, you must allow 8-10 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you.

Remember that POSTED SPEED LIMITS are only to be followed during ideal weather conditions. Slow down while driving on snow or ice.

When driving UPHILL on ice, pick a path that will allow the most traction. Monitor vehicles in front of you and steer clear of areas where they spin wheels or slide backward. Unpacked snow will give most vehicles sufficient uphill traction.

To maintain control on CURVES and TURNS, reduce speed just before the turn. Any sudden acceleration or deceleration during a turn will send you into a skid.

NEVER brake while driving on ice. If you are approaching a patch of ice, brake during your approach. Applying pressure to your brakes while on ice will only throw you into a skid. If your vehicle is equipped with an Anti-lock braking system (ABS), apply steady pressure to the brake pedal during the entire stop. ABS will automatically pump the brakes, if necessary, to keep the wheels from locking. Never manually pump ABS brakes yourself. Apply only steady pressure continuously until you come to a complete stop.