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Winter Driving

Winter is the most difficult driving season. Not only do you have snow and ice to deal with, but there are fewer hours of daylight as well.

Before winter weather arrives, make sure your vehicle is in good condition, especially the tyres. If necessary, fit snow or winter tyres, and put them on early. Try not to get caught without them in the first snowfall or icy roads. On front-wheel drive cars, it's best to put snow tyres or winter tyres on all four wheels, not just the front.

If you must drive, clear the ice and snow from your vehicle, all windows and windscreen wipers. Be sure the windscreen washer reservoir is adequately filled with a freeze-resistant cleaning solution.

Drive slowly. Even if your vehicle has good traction in ice and snow, other drivers will be travelling cautiously. Don't disrupt the flow of traffic by driving faster than everyone else.

In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, you can usually feel a loss of traction or the beginning of a skid. There may be no such warning in a front-wheel drive, however. Front-wheel drives do handle better in ice and snow, but they do not have flawless traction, and skids can occur unexpectedly. Don't let the better feel and handling of a front-wheel drive car cause you to drive faster than you should.

Despite a popular misconception, the best approach to recovering from a skid is the same for both front and rear-wheel drive vehicles. If your rear wheels start to skid:

• Turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.
• If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
• If your car has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), keep your foot on the pedal. If not, pump the pedal gently, pumping more rapidly as your car slows down. Braking hard with non-anti-lock brakes will make the skid worse.

If your front wheels skid:

• Take your foot off the accelerator and put in neutral gear, but don't try to steer immediately.
• As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

To avoid skids, brake carefully and gently on snow or ice. "Squeeze" your brakes in slow, steady strokes. Allow the wheels to keep rolling. If they start to lock up, ease off the brake pedal. As you slow down, you may also want to shift into a lower gear.

When sleet, freezing rain or snow start to fall, remember that bridges, ramps, and over-passes are likely to freeze first. Also be aware that slippery spots may still remain after the Highway Authorities have cleared the roads.