How to drive your car when the road becomes an ice rink? Above all, the first piece of advice is not to get behind the wheel if you are a beginner or not comfortable. Better to stay at home. If you still have to drive, here are some mandatory rules to follow:
Sudden acceleration, braking or steering should be avoided as much as possible. “You should be able to drive with an egg in each hand. And another under each foot” without breaking them according to Bernard Darniche, a former rally driver interviewed in the video at the top of this article. In other words, we leave the steering wheel alone: “The more you turn the wheel, the less grip you will have. In fact, you have to stay in almost fixed position and speed. »
And what about speed? “20 km/h is already too fast if you don’t have winter tires” according to this expert.
If you have to stop, you must anticipate and plan for a longer stopping distance to brake smoothly. If your car is equipped with ABS (an anti-lock braking system), the pedal may jerk. Do not panic ! You must then continue to brake even if the pedal makes a strange noise.
- We slip the clutch
If you are stuck at a standstill on a very snowy or icy road and you want to restart with a manual gearbox, “you have to slip the clutch very slightly, starting directly in second gear,” advises Bernard Darniche.
- We take out the Twingo, we leave the 4×4 in the garage
Contrary to what one might believe, driving a 4×4 without winter tires on ice is more dangerous than driving a small car. “If the car is small, with narrow tires, it can do it, according to Bernard Darniche. Less on the other hand if you are equipped with large, wide tires. When driving or accelerating, you will have the impression that you have grip, but when you want to stop, you risk going sledding. »