West Michigan is already seeing regular snowfall, and early on in the season you're bound to see more traffic accidents than usual. Slippery conditions can appear out of nowhere too - one minute it's sunny and the roads are merely wet, then the temperature drops and the interstate turns into an ice rink. Worse yet, sudden lake-effect snow storms can impact your visibility and handling. Driving here in the winter means you need to be adaptable and patient. The good news is that by just internalizing some simple techniques you can become a winter driving pro.
Below, we've gathered up some simple things you can do to keep you, your passengers, and other motorists safe. Some of these things are driving tips, others are things you can do outside of driving to improve your vehicle's performance and preparedness. Take a look below, and Schedule An Appointment with the Borgman Service Center in Grand Rapids for upgrades such as winter tires, or if you are noticing certain features like Anti-Lock Brakes not working properly.
How To Prepare Your Vehicle For Winter Weather
As Sun Tzu wrote, "Victory lies in preparation." Making sure your vehicle is ready before braving the winter elements is key to doing so safely. Thankfully, this is a relatively short list.
First, know that when air gets cold, it contracts. This means that the air in your tires stays the same, but takes up less space, resulting in a lower air pressure. Check your tires' air pressure and make sure they're inflated to your vehicle's specification (it's usually listed on a sticker in your driver's side door well.) Now is an excellent time to check the condition and pressure of your spare tire too.
Next, make sure you have plenty of windshield washer fluid. This has solvents in it that work to remove dirt and debris, and also lowers the freezing point of water. That means if you're having trouble seeing in a snowstorm, a quick spritz from your washers will clear away the snow and ice.
While the hood is open, check your oil and other fluids. Does anything look low? Is the oil black instead of a dark honey color? Have you noticed squishy brakes or strange behavior from the transmission? Have you forgotten when your air filters have been changed? Is anything at all out of the ordinary? If you said yes to any of the above, Schedule an Appointment with us and we'll make sure your regular maintenance is current and all of your fluids are where they should be.
Finally, make sure you at least put a blanket, hat, warm socks, gloves, and your roadside assistance information or tow truck phone number somewhere in your vehicle for emergencies. You can get as elaborate as you'd like with this, adding kitty litter (for extra traction), a rope (for helping someone pull you out of a ditch) fire starters, hand warmers, an emergency radio, a portable shelter, protein bars, etcetera.
Winter Driving Basics
Perhaps the most important lesson from high school physics to apply to winter driving (and also briefly mentioned in the intro of a certain children's science show) is the following phrase: "inertia is a property of matter." That means, the bigger and heavier your vehicle is, the harder it will be to get it moving or slow it down. It's a practical example of Newton's First Law of Motion.
When you brake, brake pads apply friction to your wheels by squeezing the rotor to stop them from spinning. This works in tandem with the friction between your tires and the road. Take away that extra friction, and the result is pretty simple: you slow down slower. Your wheels could stop, but your vehicle keeps moving as if it was on skis. If you have ABS (which nearly all vehicles now do) all you can do is keep your foot firmly on the brake and prepare to slide around obstacles if safe and possible.
Another force that becomes more pronounced on slippery roads is centripetal force. This pushes objects away from the center of spinning motion. Put more simply, if you go to turn at higher speed and your tires don't have enough grip to fight centripetal force, you'll "under-steer" and only be able to turn half as much as you intended. If you really crank the steering wheel, your back wheels will do this instead and you'll spin, also called "over-steer."
So how do you counteract all of these forces of motion on your vehicle? Thankfully, all you need to do is slow down. The less forward motion you build up, the less of it you'll need to compensate for, meaning less time to come to a stop and more predictable turns.
Now that you know the cardinal rule, here are some simple winter driving tips that could get you out sticky situations. Please remember to always be aware of your surroundings and don't do anything that you're uncomfortable with, unfamiliar with, or could endanger you, your passengers, or other motorists.
- Count Vehicle Lengths: Have you ever seen those posts along the side of the highway? When the car in front of you passes one, start counting. If you're going 60mph, make sure you're giving yourself at least 15 seconds before you pass the same landmark. You can reduce this and use things like stoplights or mailboxes at lower speeds, but the key is to ensure you have time to react and fully stop if you need to.
- Climbing Hills: West Michigan has a lot of hills. When approaching one, you don't need speed; you need inertia. Build it up slowly as you approach so that when you start climbing up, the weight of your vehicle is what carries you up and you only need to cover the gas pedal to maintain that speed. Adding more gas could cause you to spin out on the way up, and once you stop, it's really difficult to get going again.
- Descending Hills: To descend a hill, the best course of action is to do nothing but steer straight. Keep your foot over the brake at the ready, but let your vehicle smoothly descend. If you must brake, do so gently. Braking hard can lock up your wheels and send you into a spin, or worse, cause someone behind you to panic or crash into you. After you're back on level ground, then gently brake more to slow yourself down. Make sure if someone is behind you to give them space to slow down too.
- Recovering From Skids: Unless you've been professionally trained to drive rally or track cars, there's not much a civilian driver can do if you end up in a wild skid. However, with these two concepts, you might be able to recover. First: look where you want to go. Your hands will automatically take care of the rest. Second: the gas pedal is only used for going forward. Third: tapping the brake will shift the weight of your vehicle towards the front. In front-wheel drive vehicles, these wheels are the ones you need to have traction, and since they're under the engine, throwing that extra weight forward will help you. Next, gently apply brakes and look (rule 1) to get the wheels pointed where you want to go. Once all clear, gently apply the gas to move forward.
If you've completely lost control of your vehicle, keep your foot on the brake and turn your hazards on (if able) while doing your best to avoid obstacles. Aim for the side of the road away from other vehicles. Ending up in a snow-filled embankment is preferable to being an obstacle for other motorists to avoid. - Navigating Steep Driveways Some people have long, steep driveways. If you drive a front-wheel drive vehicle and can't make it to the top, you might have better luck going up in reverse. Gravity is putting more weight on the drive wheels this way, which in some circumstances gives you more traction. This works pretty well on snow but less so on ice.
Get Ready for Holiday Travels at the Borgman Service Center in Grand Rapids
If you're planning a holiday trip across West Michigan, make your first step an appointment at the Borgman Service Center. Our highly-trained and friendly staff will make sure your vehicle is ready to brave the cold weather. We service all makes and models and are dedicated to keeping you moving.
To get started, simply use our easy Online Scheduler to make your appointment, then check out our latest Service Coupons for big savings. If you have any questions, feel free to Contact Us or give us a call. Come see why we're still the Best in the West after over 60 years!
