It’s that time of year again: winter.

The leaves have fallen, the temperatures have dropped, and the snow has started to fall in our beloved Calgary. For many of us, that means it’s time to break out the winter coats, hats, and gloves.

But it also means it’s time to start thinking about one thing: ice.

The cold weather, combined with the slippery and icy roads, can make for some treacherous driving conditions. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. In this blog post, we’ll give you a complete guide on how to avoid sliding on slippery and icy roads.

The Basics

First, let’s start with some basics. The best amount of money to be invested in the winters of Calgary is to buy yourself good quality winter tires. Although lots of people take winter tires lightly, they are life savers!

Watch this minute-and-a-half clip to check how winter tires could save your life in terms of quick car acceleration, braking, and sharp turns on icy and slippery roads.

Even when your car is four-wheel drive and has all the bells and whistles of car technology (automatic stability, ABS, traction control, etc.), winter tires make a huge difference in how your car behaves on snow and ice.

Preliminary Precautions

When the roads are slippery and icy, it’s important to take it slow. This means driving below the speed limit and leaving yourself plenty of time to stop. Accelerating and braking too quickly can cause your tires to lose traction. It’s also important to keep your distance from other cars, as it takes longer to stop on slippery and icy roads.

Another way to avoid a slide is to make sure your tires are properly inflated. This will give you more traction on the road. In winter, it’s a good idea to check your tire pressure more often than usual.

My Car is Now Sliding on that Icy Road. What Should I Do?

1 – Don’t panic. It’s important to stay calm when your car starts to slide. If you panic, you could make the situation worse.

2 – Don’t try to correct a slide by turning the wheel. This will only make the situation worse. Instead, let the car go straight and wait for it to stop.

3 – If you have a manual transmission, downshift to a lower gear. This will help to engage the engine and may also help the car to regain traction.

4 – If you have an automatic transmission, put the car in neutral. This will help to disengage the drivetrain and may help the car to regain traction.

5 – Steer in the direction you want the car to go. If your car starts to slide to the right, for example, steer to the right. This will help you regain control of the car.

6 – Spinning? If you find yourself in a spin, the best thing to do is to turn the wheel in the direction that the car is spinning. This will help the car to straighten out and may help you to avoid hitting something.

7 – SLAM the brakes if you HAVE an anti-lock braking system (ABS) in your car. You may feel some funny vibration feeling at the car brake pedal, or you can also feel that the pedal is softer than usual. All of this indicates that the ABS is working to reduce any brake locking (brake locking increases car sliding.)

8 – DON’T SLAM the brakes if you DON’T have ABS in your car. This could cause your car to spin out of control. Instead, ease off the accelerator and let the car slow down gradually.

9 – If you’re in a skid, don’t brake. This could make the skid worse. Instead, take your foot off the accelerator and let the car slow down gradually.

10 – Stay on the road. If you start to slide off the road, don’t try to correct it. This could cause you to lose control of the car. Instead, let the car go where it wants to and slowly steer it back onto the road when it’s safe to do so.

11 – Don’t use cruise control. On icy roads, it’s best to have full control of your car. Cruise control can make it harder to control your car, so it’s best to avoid using it.

12 – Slow down. This might seem like obvious advice, but it’s worth repeating. On icy roads, it’s best to take it slow. This will give you more time to react if your car starts to slide.

13 – Increase your following distance. On icy roads, you’ll need more time to stop, so it’s important to increase your following distance. This will give you more time to react if the car in front of you stops suddenly.

14 – Use your low beams. On icy roads, it’s best to use your low beams. This will help you see the road better and avoid glare from oncoming traffic.

15 – Watch for black ice. Black ice is especially dangerous because it’s hard to see. If you’re driving on an icy road, be on the lookout for black ice and be extra careful.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to avoid sliding on slippery and icy roads in Calgary or in your home city, town, or hamlet, wherever you are!

Do you have any other tips to share? Send us an email, and we will include it in the blog post.