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Show The Thunderbird Monday, November 21, 1983 Not only is extra care needed behind the wheel, Motorists should prepare to adjust their driving habits at the first sign of snow and ice to meet winters frequently fast changing and hazardous conditions. and crossCampus driving as well as around-tow- n country driving are potentially hazardous when winter conditions appear. SUSC students got a taste of those conditions last week, but more is on the way this season. For those Californians and others who may not have had the often exhilarating but always dangerous thrill of motivating sideways down city streets or highways, there are some things to keep in mind. Care should be taken to limit speed on icy toads, according to the Automotive Information Council. Provide more time to stop and turn your car and allow greater distance between you and the car ahead. Be on the lookout for danger spots. Bridges and overpasses freeze before other road surfaces. Shaded underpasses can hide ice patches. Braking habits are particularly important. During the winter, drivers should brake earlier than under normal conditions, reported Richard Tipple, manager of the National Safety Councils Traffic Safety Department. Its best to anticipate stops and slow down gradually. Many drivers have been brought up on the advice that pumping the brakes is the best way to stop safely on wet and slippery roads, according to Road Ahead, the newsletter of Peterson, Howell and Heather, Inc. but also some extra attention to your vehicle Not any more. With the advent of disc brakes that adage has gone the way of the running board. The difference is that disc brakes do not release as quickly as the old drum brakes were used to, reports the publication. Result: When you pump disc brakes, theres a good chance they may not release at all. They all too often lock, and control of the car is out of your hands. Instead of pumping, squeeze your brakes with a slow, steady pressure. Just before locking the wheels, Whether you re from Cedar City, Montana or Malibu, there's some adjustments that should be made in your driving for this winter. ease up on the pedal until your cars wheels are rolling easily again. Then release the procedure, the publication states. If you begin to slide, steer in the direction of the skid, with your foot off the biake pedal until you feel you are in control. Yes, we know, that sounds ridiculous, but thats the way it works. Page 7 is necessary Most motorists can coun on having their cars exposed to the possibility of getting stuck in the snow sometime during the winter. Reinforced tire chains and snow tires provide good traction. Cat litter or othef' coarse material can be spread under the tires to give additional traction. The main thing is to ease the car forward bv applying slow, steady pressure to the gas pedal. Try to avoid spinning the wheels. This will only dig the car in deeper. Whats more, when one wheel is stuck and the other is spinning freely, the free wheel can spin at twice the speedometer reading. A tire spinning that rapidly could explode due to excessive heat buildup. Many common practices used to increase traction are no longer considered safe. Putting extra weight in the trunk of your car for better traction may help slightly, but steering can be adversely affected. The distance it takes the car to stop can also increase. Likewise, never reduce tire pressure m an attempt to boost traction on snow, ice or in mud. Not only wont it work, but it also could affect steering, and tire wear is bound to increase. Making sure you can see clearly at all times is a key factor in safe winter driving. Give yourself access to the total visual driving picture by keeping all windows clear of snow, ice and fog. Scraping off only a small area can lead to big trouble. |