Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/107274
behind the wheel 3 Winter Driving Challenges and the strategies to get you home safely by Shauna Rudd 1 Skidding on Ice Prevent a skid by noting where ice is likely to form — intersections, low-lying and shaded areas, spots near bodies of water, bridge decks — and braking gently in advance. If that fails and you find yourself sliding, here's what to do: Brake smart. When you feel a loss of control over your vehicle, instinct tells you to hit the brakes hard, but this could lock up your wheels before the ABS mechanism can kick in. "The brake could be your best friend or worst enemy," cautions Rick Lang of AMA Driver Education. The trick is to apply gentle but firm pressure to the brake pedal and steer smoothly. If you're skidding, gently steer your vehicle to where you want to go: away from danger. Look toward a safe spot. In a moment of panic, the direction your eyes go is the direction your vehicle will go. "If you see a telephone pole and think, 'I don't want to hit it,' yet you're looking at it, that's where you're going," says Lang. So be sure to fix your gaze on a safe area, such as a gap in traffic, and you will instinctively steer toward it. Ask yourself, "Do I really need to make this trip?"If conditio you probably have your answer. 2 Stuck in the Snow Many drivers, on finding their vehicles buried in the white stuff, hop inside and put pedal to metal, only to spin the wheels and sink in deeper. Instead: Snowed in? Roll forward and backward slowly to clear a path and avoid spinning your wheels. Dig before driving. Shovel snow from 50 W e s t w o r l d p50-51_Behind Wheel.indd 50 >> Rock out. Rock your vehicle free around your tires and "create a nice runway to get some momentum up," says Lang. Create traction. You can use anything gritty, but cat litter has advantages over sand – it's lighter, it provides good traction and the bag is usually re-sealable. Spread it in front of all four tires. by gently accelerating forward and in reverse to make a clear path. Avoid spinning your wheels and take pauses to let tires cool for better traction. "All a hot tire's going to do is melt the snow to ice," says Lang. february 2013 Steven Hall/Three-in-a-Box 13-01-16 11:39 AM