Driving on slippery roads will be dangerous and can cause accidents if the drivers do not pay attention to it. This article will give you some tips on how to be safe in this situation. Keep reading to find out!
Why do we need to be careful when driving on slippery roads?
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When driving in bad weather such as a storm, if a driver can’t control the speed, the phenomenon of wheels skimming on the water will occur because the water is not dispersed. The pressure below the tire will thus lift and separate the tire from the road surface, causing the tire to lose grip, and resulting in many slippery road accidents.
Driving a vehicle on a slippery road if you do not have enough driving experience, is likely to encounter danger. To ensure safety and steady steering when going through these roads, drivers should immediately implement some shared experiences from drivers who have applied below.
Ensure good visibility
When it rains, the temperature will drop, causing a difference between the temperature inside and outside the car. The car glass, therefore, is about to be foggy. Drivers should turn on the windshield washer to fix this problem. If the air conditioner is on, do not open the window, otherwise, you would hardly see the road clear.
Slow down, remain a safe distance
To ensure safety, as soon as entering a slippery road, drivers should slow down. This reduces the inertia of the vehicle and increases the contact area of the tire with the road surface, thereby increasing grip.
In addition, keeping a safe distance from other vehicles is also very important when driving. It gives you some space to brake the car slowly when something suddenly appears or happens. The distance considered safe between vehicles when driving on slippery roads is 30m.
Follow the tire tracks of the car in front
According to the experience of many drivers, if driving on slippery roads, following the tire tracks of the front wheel is a wise choice. Because the tire tracks of the front car have cleared the way and helped guide you along the way. In addition, the road part at those tire tracks has limited the adhesion between rainwater and dirt or sand on the road surface. Therefore, that part of the road is less slippery.
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Limit sudden braking
Braking quickly when moving on a slippery road will be very dangerous, possibly causing the vehicle to slip and lose control. Therefore, you should only brake suddenly when absolutely necessary to avoid unsafe incidents. To do this, you need to stay calm and focused when driving, perform gentle operations, and adjust the distance to other vehicles.
Do not steer out of a sudden
Steering when losing control is a mistake that the driver makes when traveling on a slippery road. Because this operation will pose many potential risks to the safety of you and the people moving around. The thing to do now is to stay calm, clench the steering wheel, release the accelerator, and apply the brakes slowly until the car stops.
When the vehicle slips but the vehicle does not have a brake lock feature, avoid using the brake, if the vehicle has an ABS brake, brake firmly to go through slippery roads. Gently release the gas and carefully navigate the car as you want.
Open a large angle when cornering
When driving on slippery roads, the moment of cornering needs to be handled correctly to ensure safety. And opening a large angle when cornering is essential. Because if the corner is too narrow, the car will easily slip the rear wheel, causing danger when traveling.
Running in the middle of the road
Usually, on roads, the center of the road is higher than the two sides. Therefore, if it rains, or the road is muddy, they often drift to the edges. Therefore, choosing the center of the road to go will help drivers avoid being flooded with water or sticky mud, which makes the car more slippery.
Conclusion
Hopefully, with those tips, you will already know what to do when driving on slippery roads. Even if for some reason the road is slippery, you can still handle it perfectly and remain calm under every circumstance.
Thank you for reading! Also, you might read our writing of any other article like this on Tips and Advice. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Philmotorlaw.com.
