Cars slowly make their way as heavy snow falls on the Mt. Rose Highway near Reno, Nev., on Dec. 1, 2022. A windy, winter storm packing heavy snow started moving into the Sierra Thursday, closing schools at Lake Tahoe, prompting a backcountry avalanche warning and snarling traffic on Interstate 80 west of Reno. (Jason Bean/Reno Gazette-Journal via AP)
Q: I have a driving-in-snow tip: Do NOT drive in snow. Stay home and keep warm. Better still, sell your car. You should get a good price in the current market.
Mike Smith
A: Those ideas might work for people who can avoid driving in winter weather. For others who must, or want to drive in snowy conditions, the biggest advice I can offer is:
Go slow. Go slow. Go slow.
Here are more tips for winter driving from the National Safety Council and AAA:
- Have your car checked to make sure it’s ready for winter driving.
- Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze.
- Keep your car’s emergency preparedness kit fully stocked.
- Keep external camera lenses and side view mirrors clean and free of snow.
- To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, never leave a vehicle running in your garage – even with the garage door up.
- If the forecast looks iffy, wait out the storm if possible; if you must travel, share your travel plans and route with someone before you leave.
- Avoid using cruise control in wintry conditions.
- Steer in the direction of a skid, so when your wheels regain traction, you don’t have to overcorrect to stay in your lane.
- Accelerate and decelerate slowly.
- If possible, don’t stop when going uphill.
- If visibility is severely limited due to a whiteout, pull off the road to a safe place and do not drive until conditions improve. Avoid pulling off onto the shoulder unless it is an absolute emergency. Limited visibility means other vehicles can’t see yours on the shoulder.
- Traction control is standard on most new vehicles. It helps your vehicle gain traction on snowy, icy or wet surfaces.
- An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is also standard on most new vehicles, and helps you steer in emergencies.
- If you become stranded in an unfamiliar area, do not leave your car. Light flares in front and behind the car and make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked by snow, mud or objects.
Q: My dad worked in the Dimond district in Oakland. He told me about a particularly heavy rain in the Oakland hills that had water flowing down storm drains fast enough to raise manhole covers off their mounts.
If a car hit a floating cover, it would fall into the hole, tear apart the suspension, and bring the car to an immediate stop. I could see how that would be a rarity, but what a mess! Keep an eye out for water jets shooting up through the holes in manhole covers.
Jim Cauble, Hayward
A: Valuable advice, thank you.
Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Originally published at Gary Richards