With a winter storm bringing significant snow to Kansas this week, AAA Kansas is urging drivers to be prepared.
AAA is reminding drivers to pay attention to weather forecasts and know what road conditions are like before they head out. Shawn Steward, public and government affairs manager for AAA Kansas said most roads will be covered and driving will be slick and hazardous. He said the best action is to stay home and off the roads to allow plow crews to properly treat and clear the roads. For people who have to get out, AAA Kansas recommends staying weather-aware and checking www.KanDrive.gov to get real-time road conditions.
AAA has a number of tips for driving in snowy and icy conditions:
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Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in winter conditions, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate. Stay home until crews can properly clear roadways.
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Check road and weather conditions. Before you leave, assess the conditions of roads along your route. A good source for this is the Kansas Department of Transportation’s KanDrive site, found at http://www.kandrive.gov or mobile app. Also consider loading a good weather app with live radar functionality to keep updated on storm track.
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Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on ice- and snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping and turning – give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
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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 well in advance for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
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Manage a skid. If you lose traction and begin to spin or skid on snow or ice, don’t slam on the brakes. Steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go, until your tires regain traction.
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Increase your following distance to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
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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.
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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.
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Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. 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.
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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.
