What to pay attention to when driving in bad weather on rainy, foggy, icy and snowy roads
As winter begins, icy and snowy roads are more common in winter. For those of you who drive, do you know the skills of driving on icy and snowy roads?
Start slowly, lift the clutch slowly and refuel slowly
If the wheels slip when starting, you can shift into a higher gear than usual. For example, a car can start in second gear. The truck starts in third gear when it is empty and in second gear when it is heavy. The clutch is released slower than usual, and it is best to use a half-clutch range to adjust the transmission force. The throttle should be lower than usual when starting, as long as the engine does not stall. Once the wheels are turning, immediately shift into a lower gear and refuel normally. All these require the driver to shift gears quickly and coordinate the throttle, clutch, and gears accurately.
Maintain low speed and stability while driving
Since the braking distance will increase with the increase of vehicle speed, controlling the vehicle speed and maintaining a large safe distance from the vehicle in front are the best ways to drive on ice and snow. key. Generally speaking, no matter how high the driving speed, a safe driving distance must be maintained. For example, if the speed is 30 kilometers per hour, a distance of 30 meters must be maintained. Because the fastest time it takes for a driver to discover a situation and step on the brake pedal is 0.03 seconds, and the mechanical reaction time also requires a distance of 8.33 meters. Therefore, if a vehicle is traveling too fast, the safe distance between the two vehicles will be smaller, and the consequences will be disastrous in the event of an emergency.
It is forbidden to turn the steering wheel suddenly on the road.
When you need to turn, you should also slow down first, increase the turning radius appropriately and turn the steering wheel slowly. Hold the steering wheel with both hands and operate it smoothly and gently, otherwise sideslip will occur. This is due to excessive steering and lateral deflection of the steering wheel, which causes the vehicle's front wheel resistance to suddenly increase and the rear end of the vehicle to be thrown outward under the action of inertia. Especially on mountainous roads in the suburbs, sometimes the ice and snow roads are discontinuous. When making directions, it is best to take measures in advance to complete the discontinuities. If you make a sudden turn on an icy or snowy road, you may end up skidding across the road or running off the roadbed, causing a major traffic accident.
The braking method is different with or without ABS
Cars without ABS equipment: When decelerating and parking on icy and snowy roads, you should first quickly downshift one by one to use the "traction resistance" of the engine to slow down, and then Press the brake pedal quickly and repeatedly to stop the vehicle smoothly.
Cars with ABS equipment: You can also shift to a low gear and use the "traction force" of the engine to slow down in advance. However, the brakes must be pressed to the bottom at once, and the steering wheel must be controlled at the same time. Never use "point braking" method, otherwise the ABS will not work and danger will easily occur.
In addition, cars with or without ABS should not drive in neutral on snow. When braking, they rely on the resistance of the snow and engine resistance to slow down. On ice, even if they skid by downshifting or dragging, the driving force The wheels have power and are stressed at the same time, which is much better than slipping in neutral, and the tires are less likely to lock.
Keep a safe distance laterally
When driving on icy and snowy roads, you must give full consideration to others when entering and leaving the main road, passing through intersections, turning left and right, meeting vehicles, and when encountering pedestrians and bicycles. Give way politely and always maintain a large lateral safety distance. Generally, do not flash your lights or whistle to urge others, otherwise it will cause mental panic to others. Sometimes, bicycles and pedestrians may accidentally fall down in the non-motorized lanes of mixed road sections or on both sides of alleys due to slippery roads. Drivers would rather stop and give way than rush to the right of way to avoid possible personal injury accidents at any time. .
Maintain a good mental state
For experienced drivers, although icy and snowy roads are not scary, they still need to drive cautiously and slowly, and just deal with different situations individually. And icy and snowy roads are indeed a test for new drivers. As the saying goes, "Tenderness overcomes hardness", all operations of driving a vehicle must be gentle. Especially when driving on an overpass with a steep slope, it is difficult to go up and down the slope and it is easy to stall. New drivers can take the auxiliary road instead to avoid the danger of driving on and off the bridge area multiple times. Be sure to remember not to panic or take drastic actions when encountering an emergency. You should stay calm and handle it decisively according to your own analysis and judgment.
How to use lights correctly when driving in foggy weather
When driving in foggy weather, you must turn on small lights and front and rear fog lights. The small lights are together with the low beam and high beam. The first gear is the small light, the second gear is the low beam, and the third gear is the high beam. The front and rear fog lights can only be turned on after the small lights are turned on, and the fog lights are special lights for driving in foggy weather. According to reports, there are two common mistakes in turning on lights in foggy days, namely turning on high beam and turning on double-jumping lights. The traffic police said that many drivers, whose vision is affected in foggy weather, turn on their high beams in the hope of seeing more clearly. In fact, the white light emitted by the high beams easily mixes with the white fog, which interferes with the traffic of themselves and oncoming cars. Although the double-jumping lights are very obvious when they flash, they cannot warn other cars in advance that they are about to turn. It is particularly easy to cause traffic accidents when turning at intersections. Beware of pedestrians and don’t drive close to them
When driving in heavy fog, you can try to make use of the remaining sight distance and keep an eye on the lane markings on the road. Try not to drive along the roadside in case pedestrians suddenly appear on the roadside and avoid them.
Do not turn on high beams due to diffuse reflection of fog
Before driving in foggy weather, remember to fully check the vehicle lighting device. Turn on fog lights when driving and do not use high beams. This is because the optical axis of the high beam is tilted upward, and the emitted light is diffusely reflected by the fog, which will form a vast white field in front of the car, making it impossible to see anything while driving. Glycerin wipes the windshield to prevent fogging. Due to the large temperature difference between the inside and outside of the cab, the inside of the windshield is often covered with a layer of mist. Use the demister on the air conditioner or open the car window a crack to quickly defogging. Apply some glycerin, alcohol, salt water or dish soap on the windshield to keep the windshield from fogging up in a short time. Honk your horn in response
In foggy weather, visibility is poor. Frequently honking your horn can help you warn pedestrians and vehicles. When you hear the horn of other vehicles, you should immediately honk your horn in response. Indicate the position of your car. In addition, if you find that the car behind you is following too closely, you can tap the brakes a few times to remind you. You have seen that this is a fog lamp
The indicator light on the vehicle dashboard is the symbol of the fog lamp and is used to show the working status of the front and rear fog lamps. Fog lights are generally yellow. In foggy days, this color of light has relatively stronger penetrating power than other colors of light.