Not all of us can get behind the wheel of a Toyota Land Cruiser when winter brings freezing conditions to our roads. Snow, ice and other challenging conditions can increase dangers, so to help you stay safe we’ve compiled a list of winter driving tips.
Winter driving tips for snowy and icy roads
- If your car has a control setting for snow or ice, use it. This will reduce torque to the driven wheels and therefore reduce the chance of wheel spin.
- Be gentle with the clutch. Power will be delivered to the driving wheels more smoothly, reducing the chance of skidding.
- Be gentle with the throttle. In a front-wheel drive car, too much throttle on a slippery surface will make it understeer, resulting in the car not turning as much as it would with a normal amount of grip. In a rear-wheel drive car, however, too much throttle will make it oversteer, which is where the rear of the car exaggerates the steering input and slides out.
- Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are designed to help you brake and steer around obstacles at the same time. But in order to work effectively the system needs to sense grip on the road surface. So in icy or low-grip conditions you should reduce speed and brake gently, keeping your eyes focused on the point you want to reach.
- If you have a crash mitigating system, such as Toyota Safety Sense, try to keep snow and ice off your car’s radar sensors. Blockages in their ‘vision’ will stop them working correctly.
- During a cold snap, your Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) could show up a warning. Be sure to double-check that your tyres properly inflated with our tyre pressure and size guide.
- Consider fitting cold weather tyres, which dramatically improve grip and stability when ambient temperatures are less than seven degrees Celsius. Please note, however, that the principles listed above remain the same whether winter tyres are fitted or not.
Driving in rain and on flooded roads
- Rain reduces your visibility and increases stopping distances, especially during the winter months, so it is advisable to double the distance between you and the car in front.
- Use your headlights when visibility is reduced, in accordance with the Highway…
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