As Canadians, we are familiar with challenging and often unfavourable winter driving conditions.
Winter driving can sometimes be a daunting task. Take comfort in the fact new technologies are working to keep you safer than ever. Built into newer vehicles, new technologies can help drivers recover quickly from a skid, prevent wheels from locking up while braking and provide improved traction in slippery conditions.
Dec. 1 to 7 is the 56th National Safe Driving Week and the Canada Safety Council encourages all Canadian drivers to take added precautions on the road throughout the winter months.
Being prepared is the best way to ensure for safe winter driving. This includes adjusting driving habits consistent with weather conditions, maintaining your vehicle for optimum performance and equipping it with necessary safety items.
Winter driving can be one of the biggest challenges for Canadians, so it is essential to adjust driving behaviour with the change in seasons. You may not be able to control the weather and road conditions but you can control the way you drive. Plan ahead and give yourself enough time to get to your destination. Reduce speed and leave at least three seconds (more in bad weather) between your car and the car you are following. It can make the difference between having a collision or not.
To prepare for the winter driving season, get a complete vehicle tune-up. All systems should be checked: exhaust, fuel, heating and cooling systems, and any safety systems. Brakes, lights, batteries, tires, windshield wipers and fluid, are all especially important to check before venturing out in winter conditions.
Check tire pressure often, at least once a month and especially before highway driving. Properly inflated, high quality winter tires will give you the best traction on winter roads. Make sure that your four winter tires are for Canadian climate, and will keep their traction under freezing temperatures. Look for the Transport Canada snowflake-inside-mountains symbol on the tire sidewalls.
Having an emergency car kit on hand could mean the difference between getting stuck in the snow for hours or getting back on the road safely. Your emergency car kit should include: ice scraper and brush, shovel, gritty substance such as sand or kitty litter, booster cables, flashlight, antifreeze and extra washer fluid. Also include items such as warm blankets, water, matches, first aid kit, and a well-charged cell phone. Of course you should also have a properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench and tire jack.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a safety technology that helps drivers avoid crashes by reducing the likelihood of skidding. It compares the direction of your steering wheel with the direction the vehicle is going. When they are not the same, ESC automatically activates the brakes on one or more wheels and can also reduce engine power to help keep the vehicle under control and heading in the right direction.
Studies reveal that ESC can greatly reduce the number of fatal or serious collisions; in fact, in Canada in 2006, 768 drivers or passengers died and 2,578 were seriously injured in vehicle collisions involving loss of control. Transport Canada estimates there would have been about 225 fewer deaths and 755 fewer people seriously injured on our roads if all passenger vehicles had been fitted with ESC that year.
The only way to get ESC is to buy a 2012 model or a used vehicle that is already equipped with it. Transport Canada has introduced a new motor vehicle safety standard that will require ESC on most new vehicles built after Sept. 1, 2011.
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is a system that allows you to retain steering control when braking hard by preventing your wheels from locking up. When wheel sensors detect lock-up, the system relieves enough pressure to keep the tires rolling, while you brake hard. You will feel the brake pedal rapidly pulse back against your foot and may hear some mechanical noise. DO NOT lift your foot from the brake or pump the pedal. It is advisable to experience ABS technology away from traffic before you need to use them on the road.
Traction control systems (TCS) are designed to keep your tires from skidding, and works in a similar manner to ABS. Traction control helps you maintain control when increasing speed, whereas ABS helps you decrease speed. TCS's monitor the speed of your propulsion wheels, and if it senses one wheel moving faster than the others, the system slows that wheel down to help it regain traction. Two systems are prevalent; one using the ABS system and one using the transmission and engine management to help regain traction when you find yourself stuck on ice, snow or other slippery conditions.
Four-wheel drive powers all four wheels for propulsion and provides better start-ups, especially in wintry regions that have hills and/or poor snow removal. Heavy-duty four-wheel drive is often overkill; all-wheel drive, which is lighter and cheaper, is totally automatic and may be more effective. You will still need snow tires on your vehicle as braking and cornering is not enhanced by 4-wheel drive/all-wheel drive.
The above safety features are designed to help keep vehicle occupants safe, however the most important safety factor is an alert and defensive driver. Remember to buckle-up and keep all driving distractions to a minimum on the road this winter.
