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Be Prepared
Always be prepared to encounter extreme driving conditions such as, snow, fog, freezing rain and ice on the highway. Make sure that mirrors, lights and windows are clean and do a pre-trip inspection to make sure that the vehicle is in good operating condition. In the event you become stranded on the road, always have extra clothing, blankets, a shovel, and something to eat and drink.
Do Not Over-Drive Conditions
When road conditions become more dangerous - Slow Down! Select a speed that you feel is safe for the existing conditions, then slow down 5 or more miles per hour. If you encounter snow and you feel that 50 miles per hour is a safe speed, slow your vehicle to 45 or even 40 miles per hour to allow for a margin of error. Increase your following distance behind the vehicles ahead. Allow an extra 2 or 3 seconds over the normal four-second following rule since stopping distances increase in rain and on snow and ice. When fog conditions are present, reduce speed and continue to drive slowly until conditions improve or exit the highway at the first safe opportunity and wait until
the fog lifts.
Avoid Jackknife
Avoid skidding or spinning of wheels that can cause a tractor-trailer combination to jackknife. If a jackknife occurs and goes beyond 15 degrees, there is very little chance of recovering control. Countermeasures must be started quickly to regain control of the vehicle. Recommended countermeasures are:
1) steer in the desired direction of travel.
2) do not apply brakes and do not accelerate (depressing the clutch of a vehicle with a manual transmission will stop spinning wheels).
3) accelerate slightly when tractor has traction in order to pull the trailer back into line.
4) reduce speed to avoid any further problems when control has
been regained.
Allow Extra Time
Good trip planning is essential when extreme driving conditions may develop. Extra time must be allotted to complete the trip, whether local, regional or long distance. Do not speed. Speed contributes to loss of control, particularly on ice and snow. Always be able to stop within the distance that can be seen ahead. If visibility ahead is 20 feet, make sure that you can stop your vehicle within those 20 feet since you never know what is beyond your sight distance.
