IF SPRING IS HERE, CAN WINTER BE FAR BEHIND?

A checklist is provided for the motorist to prepare his car early for the coming winter. Checklist items include: battery, brakes, defroster, exhaust system, fluids, oil, tires, engine tune-up, and wipers. A "winter kit" of safety equipment to carry in the trunk is also suggested. Differences in braking and accelerating on ice are noted among three vehicle sizes (subcompact, compact, standard). A few safe driving techniques are outlined for icy conditions: keep steering steady, watch for icy patches, increase following distance, approach an intersection with extra care, and pump the brakes to stop. It is also advised not to brake in a skid but to steer in the direction the back end of the car is sliding. A chart indicates braking distance from 20 mph on glare ice and on loosely packed snow for different tires/equipment: regular tires, snow tires (rear), studded snow tires (rear, or front and rear, used or new), and reinforced tire chains (rear). A separate note presents the National Safety Council Committee on Winter Driving test findings on the ice/snow traction ability of the following tire types: compact spares, collapsible spares, on- and off-road tires, smaller stud tires, and siped tires (those with crosswise knifecuts).

• Corporate Authors:

  Alliance of American Insurers

  20 North Wacker Drive
  Chicago, IL  United States  60606
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 5-7
• Serial:
  • JOURNAL OF AMERICAN INSURANCE
  • Volume: 55
  • Issue Number: 4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Braking; Driving; Ice; Mechanical acceleration; Recommendations; Skidding; Snow tires; Studded tires; Tire chains; Traction; Traffic safety education; Vehicle maintenance; Winter
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Maintenance and Preservation; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00384721
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-029 079
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: May 30 1984 12:00AM