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Show Geting 'Feel' of Road Good for All Yeesr Getting i "feel" of the road is go advice the year around, buspecially important import-ant during s winter, according accord-ing to Rot D. Bailey, Vice President tfic Safety, Utah Safety Coul, in a statement made recer. "Many itorists practice technique snow and ice-covered ice-covered roi but fail to do so at other tin of the year," the safety offii said. "This procedure pro-cedure sho become a regular regul-ar safe drn practice, regardless regard-less of theather." He was rfing to the widely wide-ly publishcechnique of applying ap-plying the.kes gently from time to ti to get a sense of feel foe interaction between, be-tween, thee and road and then adjusting driving habits accordingly. He cited the following advantages ad-vantages of practicing this technique routinely, and certainly cer-tainly whenever there is any question at all as to the condition con-dition of either your brakes or the road surface: 1. On dry surfaces you'll get a reading of how well your brakes are operating. Water, overnight moisture, or the need of adjustment can cause slipping and grabbing brakes that will throw you out of control. It's best to have your braking system inspected, in winter by a qualified auto mechanic along with a pre-winter pre-winter check of your car. 2. In addition to snow or ice, unstable traction can result re-sult from water on the road, calling for a "feel of the road" test by braking, or by accelerating acceler-ating carefully to see if and when wheels spin. Few drivers realize the extremely hazardous hazard-ous condition resulting from a combination of worn tires, traffic slicked pavements and heavy rain. Bailey's recommendation was one of six steps to safer winter driving developed by skid-testers of the National Safety Council's Committee on Winter Win-ter Driving Hazards, all of which makes good sense, according ac-cording to Bailey. Maintain ample following distances stretch them out when driving conditions are j less than ideal. "Pump" your brakes to slow or stop three to five times a second to keep the wheels rolling itermittently; this helps to maintain steering control. Always drive on good tires with good treads. Use snow tires or studded tires (where permitted) under winter conditions. con-ditions. Carry reinforced tire chains use them for maximum traction trac-tion in deep snow or glare ice. Keep windshield and all windows clear. When wiper blades streak, replace them; and keep your windshield washer fixed with the recommended recom-mended mixture of windshield antifreeze and water. |