Experts gave advice on safe driving in winter weather conditions

In winter, the risk of accidents on the roads increases many times over. Ice, snowfall, limited visibility and sharp temperature changes make driving more difficult. Experts from SberAvto, a service for buying, maintaining and selling cars (part of Sber's ecosystem for motorists), shared with Izvestia on January 21 unconventional tips that will be useful in winter conditions and will help avoid accidents.

The service advised to reduce tire pressure before a long trip in the snow.

"If you have to drive for a long time on loose snow or snow-covered road, you can slightly reduce the pressure in the tires (by 0.2-0.3 bar from the recommended level). This will increase the tire's contact patch with the road and improve traction. After returning to a clean asphalt, the pressure should be restored to avoid rubber wear and deterioration of controllability", - noted there.

In addition, experts recommended not to turn on cruise control. They explained that the function is convenient on the highway, but in winter conditions it can cause skidding. If the car starts to lose traction, the system will try to automatically increase or decrease speed, which will worsen the situation. In snow or ice, it's better to control the throttle manually to adapt to road conditions.

It's also worth changing the way you brake on winter roads. On a slippery surface, you can't brake sharply, experts emphasized. Instead, you can reduce speed in advance by using engine braking - shifting to a lower gear - or by smoothly releasing the throttle if the gearbox is automatic. If the car has a manual transmission, you need to brake in stages: first apply the brake lightly, let the wheels catch the road, and then increase the force.

Also, you don't need to apply the brakes if the car skids.

"A driver's first instinct when skidding is to hit the brake hard. This is a mistake: locking the wheels only makes the situation worse. The main thing is to act smoothly, without making sudden movements. If the front wheels skid (understeer), remove the throttle, turn the steering wheel to the side of the skid and let the car regain traction. If the rear wheels skid (oversteer), it is necessary to carefully turn the steering wheel to the side of the skid to level the car and avoid sharp pressure on the brake or gas," the service explained.

Experts advised in emergency cases to brake against the snow on the roadside. So, if the car does not stop on a slippery road, you can use the rolled snow at the edge of the roadway. Stepping into a small snow drift will provide additional resistance and help slow the car when the brakes fail. This method is especially useful on rolling downhill slopes where bare ice makes traditional braking useless.

At the same time, you should not park with a tightened handbrake in the cold. Specialists noted that in severe frosts, the handbrake can freeze if moisture gets into the cables or mechanism. According to them, it is better to leave the car in gear - on mechanics - or in P position - on automatics, especially if the plan is to leave the car for a long time. When the handbrake is still frozen, you can try to gently press the brake pedal a few times or gently warm up the car.

Along with this, the service recommended always checking that the wheel arches are open.

"Snow and ice sticking in the wheel arches can seriously affect the handling of the vehicle. They limit suspension travel and can even block wheel turns. If after a trip the snow has accumulated and turned into ice, it must be cleared, otherwise it will interfere with driving the next day," experts said.

Earlier, on December 20, 2024, experts of the service "SberAuto" told "Izvestia" that not all modern systems in the car are equally useful on the roads around the world. Speaking about the options that can be abandoned by motorists in the Russian Federation, the experts noted the parking autopilot. According to them, this system does not always cope with narrow yards and non-standard parking spaces, which abound in small Russian cities. At the same time, they emphasized the value of such a function as automatic emergency braking. The system reacts independently to the danger of a collision if the driver is distracted.