Mastering winter driving techniques is essential for safe travel on Canadian roads during harsh weather. This section covers critical skills including understanding extended braking distances, proper ABS operation, gentle acceleration and steering inputs, throttle control on slippery surfaces, hill starts and descents, skid recovery techniques, navigating black ice safely, and maintaining appropriate following distances for maximum control and safety.
Recognize that stopping distances can increase 10 times on ice compared to dry pavement. Start braking much earlier than normal, apply steady gentle pressure, understand that panic braking leads to loss of control, test brakes in safe areas to feel road conditions, and maintain much larger following distances to compensate for reduced traction and longer stopping requirements.
Press brake pedal firmly and hold during emergency stops allowing ABS to pulse automatically, do not pump brakes with ABS as this defeats the system, understand ABS prevents wheel lockup but doesn't reduce stopping distance on ice, steer around obstacles while braking if possible, and recognize ABS pulsation and noise as normal system operation indicating slippery conditions.
Make all steering movements smooth and gradual to maintain traction and control, avoid sudden jerky motions that can break tires loose and cause skids, slow down before turns rather than braking mid-corner which causes instability, understand weight transfer and how it affects available traction at each wheel, and practice smooth progressive inputs in all driving situations.
Apply accelerator gently and progressively to avoid wheel spin which reduces forward progress, ease off throttle if wheels begin to spin rather than pressing harder, use higher gears for gentler power delivery when conditions are severe, understand traction control systems and when to disable for deep snow, and practice smooth throttle application to maintain momentum without breaking traction.
When starting uphill maintain steady momentum without wheel spin using gentle throttle, select lower gears for better control on descents allowing engine braking to assist, avoid stopping mid-hill if possible as restarting is extremely difficult, understand that speed and momentum are critical for successful hill climbing, and plan alternate routes to avoid steep grades in severe conditions.
Steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go during a skid, avoid oversteering which causes oscillating fishtailing, ease off throttle gently to allow wheels to regain traction, do not brake during a skid as this makes recovery more difficult, practice skid recovery techniques in empty snow-covered parking lots, and remain calm during skids to make correct recovery inputs.
Watch for black ice on bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas which freeze first and thaw last, recognize glossy wet-looking pavement as potential ice especially near freezing temperatures, feel for loss of road noise or steering response indicating icy surfaces, reduce speed proactively in conditions favoring black ice formation, and avoid sudden movements if you encounter ice to maintain control and prevent spinning.
Increase following distance to 8-10 seconds or more in winter conditions allowing ample stopping space, understand that most winter collisions are rear-end crashes from following too closely, adjust speed and distance based on visibility, road conditions, and your vehicle's capabilities, allow extra space around trucks which create spray and reduced visibility, and never assume you can stop as quickly as the vehicle ahead.