Ice in the big city: how not to crash in traffic

Perhaps there is no more typical image of the beginning of winter: snow falls suddenly on the city and, if not removed and rolled in time, turns the multi-lane streets into an ice rink in half an hour. How do you drive in heavy traffic when there is ice?

Driving on slippery surfaces is difficult in principle, and on busy city streets it is the ultimate driving skill. But often the motorist has no choice: when driving in traffic, the asphalt suddenly becomes slippery, and there is no way to change anything. Therefore, whoever uses the car in winter should know the skills and methods of driving in a dense space.

In summary, driving in icy conditions with heavy traffic differs from driving on free roads in the need to take into account the limited lateral space and the need to maintain a speed more or less adequate to the speed of the flow. A well-maintained car and a few auto parts reliable will help you drive safely in all weather conditions.

• Attention. Try to drive according to your own senses and abilities, without the “provocation” of the speed of your neighbors in the stream – because other cars may have better tires, 4×4 drive, a more experienced driver, etc. Listen to the behavior of the car through contact with the seat: if it does not deviate laterally. Also listen to the engine: if its revolutions match the speed. If the revs increase but the speed does not, the car is stuck and you have to ease off the accelerator a little to avoid skidding.
• Speed. On a slippery road, a given speed may seem safe until you have to slow down or swerve; that’s when even the best arctic tires can lose traction. So keep a speed not just low, but one where you can brake safely without coming into contact with your flowing neighbors if necessary. Also avoid pressing the accelerator too hard, as on slippery surfaces this will cause the drive shaft to spin and often cause the rear or front of the car to drift into a neighboring car.

• Braking. It is better to minimize the use of the brakes on slippery roads. Try to slow down using the engine brake. Not only simple manual transmissions allow this, but also modern automatic transmissions. Be careful with your brakes on climbs and inclines: pressing the brake pedal to the point of locking the wheels can dislodge even a stationary car. Almost all modern cars have ABS, which can slightly increase braking distance on slippery roads, which should be taken into account when choosing the distance to the car in front.
• Distance. Since it is impossible to see the road in front of you at a distance in dense traffic, it is necessary to leave a distance in front of you with a reservation that under the wheels at the moment of possible braking there will be pure ice. On the other hand, if you leave the “window” in front of you a little longer, other cars will sometimes “sneak” into it, forcing you to brake, which is also undesirable on a slippery road.

• Interval. A longer interval is advisable, as the car can skid a bit on slippery roads and it can be difficult to keep it strictly in its lane. It is impossible to influence the distance between the dashboards of your car and the cars in the neighboring lanes in the city. But you can try to stay in the “window” between two neighboring cars, instead of next to your car. When the road goes around the curve, control the gap with the cars in the neighboring lanes with special care, because it is in this situation that someone can be carried away, and there will be unwanted contact. Here it is better to take into account not the speed of a stream (which can be unreasonably high), but the feeling of behavior of your car.

• Traffic lights. Watch the traffic lights from afar and, despite the behavior of the cars ahead, slow down early when the green signal runs out. The nuance is that you will not be able to brake sharply at a red light.
• Climbing. If the street is going uphill and there are other cars stuck in it, don’t start up until the ones in front of you have gone up. Because if you are forced to stop on a hill with wheels, it will be almost impossible for you to move.

It may also be worth remembering that, in difficult weather conditions in the big city, the driver must ensure that they have a good view from the steering wheel before setting off. That is, the passenger compartment must be well heated so that the crystals do not fog up and all the snow and ice are removed from the outside of the windows. While the heater raises the temperature in the passenger compartment, the wiper blades and headlights can be cleared of snow.

Urban congestion during icy and rush hour is one of the most difficult driving conditions, as any experienced motorist can attest. That is why no one will judge you when you leave your car near your home or office and go to the metro station or bus stop, where professionals will be responsible for your safety and that of other citizens. Fortunately, in Ukraine, this situation does not last long on the highway – either the utilities finally wake up, or the temperature rises.