What is the best way to drive on ice? I just got my license and am scared I may have to do that soon.?

Tom-SJ

Best answer: don't if you can avoid it.

If you can't, then just remember that momentum will take your car in whichever direction it is headed when you lose traction (friction) with the ground.

When you hit a patch of ice, your tires lose all grip with the road, so anything you do to the steering wheel, brakes or accelerator will have almost no effect which direction you will go.

To handle an ice patch, take your foot off the gas and the brakes and try to point the wheels where you want to be headed after you come off the ice. Don't brake or accelerate - let the car slowly drift. If you have an manual transmission, depress the clutch to remove power from the wheels. (Trying to accelerate on ice will only spin your wheels.)

When the wheels regain traction, your steering will give you control.

Be aware of places that ice will form: on overpasses and bridges (there is no thermal mass under the roadway, so it will cool off quickly and ice can form on the road), and where water collects in low spots, especially in shadows.

If the road is straight leading to, across and after an ice patch, then keep your steering wheel straight and take your foot off the gas and don't brake. Coast across the ice patch and calmly take control as you exit the patch.

The worst place to encounter an ice patch is at the top or bottom of a hill. Your brakes won't have any effect, so you should try to avoid them at all costs.

al b

being scared is a good thing, driving on ice is a challenge. Basically you drive your vehicle as if it has no brakes; you drive slow and deliberately, no erratic lane changing, DON"T spike the brakes, Don't engage your cruise control, ever, if you suspect you might have icing conditions it could cause you to have an accident. You plan your stops far in advance of where you would even think about when driving on dry road. When approaching a stop at an intersection you need traction to brake effectively, move your car over a couple of feet just out of everyone Else's tracks and you'll likely find much better traction,When you pull away and your wheels slip, stomping on the gas just makes it a whole lot worse, just let it move out under idle though sometimes you might have to shift into a higher gear because 1st puts too much power to the wheels. There are some excellent ice grip tires available, but they are very expensive and will wear out incredibly fast if you use them on dry pavement.
Hope this helps, it's kept me out of trouble for the past forty years, I drive a semi for a living.

walkerhound03

Drive slowly. Take corners carefully. Give enough distance between you and the car in front of you. Start braking a while before you normally would. That way when you get up to a stop sign or stop light you are going slow and if your car skids a little you won't lose control. If your back end of your car starts to skid always turn the wheel towards where your back end is going. Four wheel drive on ice is not the best thing if you are not used to it. So if your car has 4 wheel drive avoid using it.

Madisons daddy

go slow and don't slam on your brakes tap them.

cowgirl

The best thing is to practice driving in an area that's void of vehicles, like a school parking lot at night. See how your car responds to steering wheet movement and brakes.
On ice, drive slower than usual and stay calm. Play the 'what if' game in your head.

blkwdw86

Depends on where you live and how bad the ice is. Wet ice is slipperier than dry ice, so temperature is of major concern. The colder it is, the easier it is to drive on. Roads tend to ice on bridges and under overpasses first, so be cautious of these areas. Go slowly, and avoid fast changes in speed and direction on ice. Be especially cautious going around curves, and NEVER NEVER NEVER slam on the brakes, either on the ice or before it. You only need traction when changing speed or direction, if you're going in a straight line at a neutral speed (not accelerating or decelerating), you have nothing to worry about.

thatgirl

Drive slow and leave plenty of room between you and the car in front of you

CctbOh

Turn into the skid and don't slam on the brakes Better yet stay home during and ice storm.

Yep

Best to be at home. But on the road. Drive slow. Cautious. If slidding. Don't freak. Let off the gas slowly. An when car comes to a stop. Relax. An drive again. If stuck. Have something like cat litter to help with the traaction.

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