Show J Jt Face Fare r- r 4 plenty Plenty of oC snow and backwoods back back- scenery make an Ideal ds woods c e ce kend for but o ng to Ross G. G Wilcox Secretary of oC the Safe Executive Winter ter Driving League they're very same conditions that rake jie a auto trip there and back downright I treacherous i i WIlcoX says that many mo- mo who normally would cancel cancel cancel can can- cel a trip when traction gets tricky will wUI still hitch up their trailers and start out anyway just to get their snowmobiles out on the trails Its the combination of oC icy or snow- snow clogged roads and a trailer whipping along behind your car that compounds the normal wInter winter winter win wIn- ter driving problems he r- r warns Towing a trailer requires special driving techniques even on dry bone-dry roads Wilcox con con- tends Problems include Starting and accelerating must be slow and easy On curves and turns a trailer tagging along behind tends to pull the rear of your car out of oC line Passing other vehicles takes longer and you need more room before beCore cutting back in When youre you're being passed theair the theair theair air blast from the passing vehicle ve vehicle vehicle ve- ve hicle can make your trailer swerve back and forth Slowing down and stopping require extra distance And somehow a trailer seems inclined to try to get ahead of oC the vehicle towing it during slowdowns and stops jackknifing When these stubborn tendencies tendencies tendencies cies show up on winter slick roads the problems often orten outstrIp outstrip outstrip out out- strip even a good drivers driver's abilIty ability abil abil- ability ity to cope with them The answer according to Wilcox who has served as both secretary and chairman of the National Safety Councils Council's Committee Committee CommIttee Com Com- on Winter Driving Hazards Hazards Hazards Haz Haz- ards is to provide the towing vehicle with the best possible 4 traction and aids then adjust your driving to the rotten road conditions your sport takes you through In the order of their effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness Wilcox listed the following fol following following fol- fol lowing to road traction aids Reinforced Tire Chains Chains- tops Chains tops for severe snow and ice lee con con- They'll provide four to seven times as much traction as regular highway tires for pulling through deep snow and driving on glare ice Studded Snow Tires where next permitted best for ice with new studs providing about three times the pull of regular regular regular regu regu- lar tires Regular Snow Tires Tires- provide about half again as much pulling power as regular tires in loose snow but only 28 Improvement Improvement Improvement Improve Improve- ment on glare ice lee Finally he recommended a check of your trunks trunk's emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency equipment It should include include In Include in- in clude a shovel a tow chain a bucket of sand or rock salt a piece of matting or other traction aid blankets battery cables emergency lighting and tire chains Good equipment and ad advance advance advance ad- ad vance preparation can help you get where youre you're going safely |