Travel and holiday guide

Okay so today we are going to talk about driving in winter weather. For someone who was born and has spent his life in Vermont winter driving is like second nature to me. It was not until I married a Texan that I realized that not all people have winter driving in their blood. So with that I am going to give some advice that will hopefully help you out.

The first thing I noticed with my wife's driving is that she was petrified of snowflakes when she was driving. She however did not look at the road and was not aware of things such as black ice. So my first piece of advise would be to look at the road and not the sky. Sure heavy blowing snow can blind you but the ice on the ground can cause you to slide off and get into an accident. Drive slow in winter weather and monitor conditions carefully.

Now how about tires? Snow tires in my opinion are the only way to go. Snow tires are designed for severe weather where all season tires are designed for limited traction and braking in these conditions. The important thing is braking as snow tires have much better grip. Remember on ice any tire will slide so it is best to not slam on the brakes. If your brakes lock up this can be trouble, driving slow and cautiously is much better then braking at the last minute and causing a wreck. Also it is a good time to mention that a SUV that is $ wheel drive is not safer and does not warrant you to drive at higher speeds in bad conditions. In fact an SUV is heavier and more awkward then a compact car so once you start sliding it is hard to control this type of vehicle. Having a 4 wheel drive does not give you a get out of a wreck free card so please be very careful with this type of vehicle. Eight out of ten accidents on highways in Vermont seem to involve an SUV just for an example.

Now if you happen to get in a skid there are 2 rules of thumb. Please understand that what I am about to tell you does not always work and to do this at your own risk. You have been warned. So if you have a front wheel drive car and begin sliding many times if you hit the gas your wheels will spin enough to pull you out of the skid. With a rear wheel drive it is the opposite. With this type of vehicle you can at times pump the brakes to stop you from sliding. These techniques have saved me from time to time as well as others. They do however take some practice.

So there you have it. Take it slow and be aware of road conditions. Calm down and drive safely. Oh and if you have bald tires please stay off the road. Other drivers on the road do not need to be involved in an accident with you for being foolish and driving with bald tires in severe weather.