DRIVING IN WINTER
Vehicle Checks Make sure your vehicle is ready before driving
in winter weather. You should make a regular pre-trip inspection,
paying extra attention to the following items. Coolant Level and
Antifreeze Amount. Make sure the cooling system is full and there
is enough anti-freeze in the system to protect against freezing.
This can be checked with a special coolant tester. Defrosting and
Heating Equipment. Make sure the defrosters work. They are needed
for safe driving. Make sure the heater is working and that you know
how to operate it. If you use other heaters and expect to need them
(e.g., mirror heaters, battery box heaters, fuel tank heaters),
check their operation. Wipers and Washers. Make sure the windshield
wiper blades are in good condition. Make sure the wiper blades press
against the window hard enough to wipe the windshield clean. Otherwise
they may not sweep off snow properly. Make sure the windshield washer
works and there is washing fluid in the washer reservoir. Use windshield
washer antifreeze to prevent freezing of the washer liquid. If you
can’t see well enough while driving (for example, if your wipers
fail), stop safely and fix the problem. Tires. Make sure you have
enough tread on your tires. The drive tires must provide traction
to push the rig over wet pavement and through snow. The steering
tires must have traction to steer the vehicle. Enough tread is especially
important in winter conditions. You should have at least 4/32 inch
tread depth in at least two major grooves on front wheels and at
least 2/32 inch on other wheels. More tread would be better. Use
a gauge to determine if you have enough for safe driving. Public
school buses must have 4/32 in all majorgrooves on front wheels.
Tire Chains. You may find yourself in conditions where you can’t
drive without chains, even to get to a place of safety. Carry the
right number of chains and extra cross links. Make sure they will
fit your drive tires. Check the chains for broken hooks, worn or
broken cross links, and bent or broken side chains. Learn how to
put the chains on before you need to do it in snow and ice. Lights
and Reflectors. Make sure the lights and reflectors are clean. Lights
and reflectors are especially important during bad weather. Check
from time to time during bad weather to make sure they are clean
and working. Windows and Mirrors. Remove any ice, snow, etc., from
the windshield, windows, and mirrors before starting. Use a windshield
scraper, snow brush, and windshield defroster as necessary. Hand
Holds, Steps, and Deck Plates. Remove all ice and snow from hand
holds, steps, and deck plates you use to enter the cab or to move
about the vehicle. This will reduce the danger of slipping. Radiator
Shutters and Winterfront. Remove ice from the radiator shutters.
Make sure the winterfront is not closed too tightly. If the shutters
freeze shut or the winterfront is closed too much, the engine may
overheat and stop. Exhaust System. Exhaust system leaks are especially
dangerous when cab ventilation may be poor (windows rolled up, etc.).
Loose connections could permit poisonous carbon monoxide to leak
into your vehicle. Carbon monoxide gas will cause you to be sleepy.
In large enough amounts it can kill you. Check the exhaust system
for loose parts and for sounds and signs of leaks. Driving Slippery
Surfaces. Drive slowly and smoothly on slippery roads. If it is
very slippery you shouldn’t drive at all. Stop at the first safe
place. The following are some safety guidelines: • Start gently
and slowly. When first starting, get the feel of the road. Don’t
hurry. • Adjust turning and braking to conditions. Make turns as
gentle as possible. Don’t brake any harder than necessary, and don’t
use the engine brake or speed retarder. (They can cause the driving
wheels to skid on slippery surfaces.) • Adjust speed to conditions.
Don’t pass slower vehicles unless necessary. Go slow and watch far
enough ahead to keep a steady speed. Avoid having to slow down and
speed up. Take curves at slower speeds and don’t brake while in
curves. Be aware that as the temperature rises to the point where
icebegins to melt, the road becomes even more slippery. Slow down
more. • Adjust space to conditions. Don’t drive alongside other
vehicles. Keep a longer following distance. When you see a traffic
jam ahead, slow down or stop to wait for it to clear. Try hard to
anticipate stops early and slow down gradually. • Wet Brakes. When
driving in heavy rain or deep standing water, your brakes will get
wet. Water in the brakes can cause the brakes to be weak, to apply
unevenly, or to grab. This can cause lack of braking power, wheel
lockups, pulling to one side or the other, and jackknife if you
pull a trailer. Avoid driving through deep puddles or flowing water
if possible. If not, you should: • Slow down. • Place transmission
in a low gear. • Gently put on the brakes. This presses linings
against brake drums or discs and keeps mud, silt, sand, and water
from getting in. • Increase engine RPM and cross the water while
keeping light pressure on the brakes. • When out of the water, maintain
light pressure on the brakes for a short distance to heat them up
and dry them out. • Make a test stop when safe to do so. Check behind
to make sure no one is following, then apply the brakes to be sure
they work right. If not, dry out further as described above. (CAUTION:
Do not apply too much brake pressure and accelerator at the same
time or you can overheat brake drums and linings.
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