Driving in Snow: Top Tips You Need

By Renee Valdes 11/28/2022 8:38am

Use these tips for safe driving in snow and other winter weather.

Winter driving is dangerous and can be terrifying, even for well-seasoned motorists. The American Automobile Association’s (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety says snow-covered roads — as well as roads coated with ice, slush or water — account for nearly 500,000 vehicle crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths each year.

“When we hit the winter months, especially as we enter the holiday season, we are in a rush. There is holiday shopping, there are places to go. You start to see an increase in people becoming more erratic in their driving behavior because they are in a rush for the holidays. You throw snow and ice on top of it, and it becomes a potential disaster,” said Dave Phillips, senior public affairs specialist at State Farm Insurance.

Snow Driving Tips for Safe Winter Driving

1. Stay Home

If the weather is bad, stay home. Only go out if necessary.

2. Remove Snow and Ice

Many states require drivers to remove the buildup of snow and ice that may become dislodged during driving. In Pennsylvania, a sheet of ice from a box truck went through a passenger’s windshield in 2005. A recent law passed in that state requires snow removal on a vehicle within 24 hours of a storm. In Vermont, when you fail to clear snow and ice from the roof of your vehicle, it’s considered “negligent driving,” and drivers can get fined up to $500 for failing to do so on a first offense.

Check your state’s regulations and stay safe while driving by cleaning off your vehicle.

Trevor Spedden, who lives in snowy Vermont, says beware of “fenderbergs,” or nasty clumps of snow and ice that can accumulate under your car’s fenders and build up in your wheel wells and prevent your car tires from turning.

“My friend hit a ‘fenderberg’ and had to get a new front bumper on their Subaru WRX,” he recounts. “If you don’t ruin someone else’s car, you’re causing some premature tire wear if the ice builds up enough.”

Before you clear off the windows, start the car, set the airflow to defrost, the fan speed to maximum, and the temperature to high. The goal is for the driver to have an unobstructed view in all directions.

Carry a brush to remove snow on the vehicle’s roof, hood, trunk lid, and all windows before driving. Use a scraper or a credit card to remove ice on the car windows and mirrors if necessary.

Person removing snow on windshield of a car.

Also, make sure the inside window glass is clean in all directions. If the rear glass is dirty, it can take longer to defrost ice and snow. Also, check to see if the rear-window defroster is working. Be careful when cleaning the glass to avoid damaging the defroster wires.

3. Decrease Speed

Winter driving is all about slowing down and giving yourself plenty of distance between vehicles in front and to the side of your vehicle. Remember, bridges and overpasses freeze first. Lower your speed to account for poor traction. Don’t press on the accelerator pedal with full throttle when driving in sleet, ice, and snow.

About the Traction Control System (TCS)

According to Kelley Blue Book’s Micah Muzio, if your traction control light starts flashing, this is what you need to know:

“The traction control system is already reducing power to keep your tires from spinning, but letting off the accelerator slightly will reduce the chance of making the tires spin once traction control stops intervening,” Muzio said. “And, whatever you do, don’t slam on the brake pedal. That can turn some minor tire slippage into a spin.”

Also, don’t panic, says Kelley Blue Book’s Lyn Woodward.

“The traction control systems work. Ease off the throttle and keep your eyes open and pointed in the direction you want to go. Unless you’re in real trouble, the car will correct and get you back on track quickly.”

About the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)

If your anti-lock braking system kicks into action, keep pressing the brake pedal.

“Those noises let you know the car is applying and releasing braking force at each wheel to maximize deceleration for the whole vehicle,” Muzio said. “The average driver will not be able to slow a vehicle more quickly than the ABS system can.”

4. Minimize Distractions

There are always distractions that come into play as part of everyday driving — the temptation to talk on your phone, turn on a podcast, or anything else.

“You really need to focus your attention more so on what is going on out that windshield when the weather is bad,” Phillips said. The risk of an accident greatly increases when snow and ice cover the street. “You have to be more cautious and vigilant. You also have to be aware of everybody else out there on the road in front of you and peripherally, people who may not be practicing the same (safe) driving principles you are using.”

5. Use AWD and 4WD

Driving in snow, sleet, and ice can be helped with all-wheel drive (AWD) or 4-wheel drive (4WD). But, it’s no panacea for safe driving habits. Learn the difference between AWD and 4WD.

“I once helped push a Chevy Tahoe that was stuck in a snowy parking lot at Mount Hood,” Muzio said. “The dude driving had put the transmission in ‘low’ and confused that with 4WD. I helped him activate 4WD, and he easily pulled away.”

Also, it’s important to keep your tires well-maintained and properly inflated before the storm hits, and you need those systems, said Lyn Woodward.

“Confidence is one thing, blind dependence is another. Most AWD or even 4WD systems can do a great job transferring grip to where it’s needed, but you’re not James Bond’s stunt driver, and you’re likely not on a closed course,” she said. “Get to know your vehicle when it’s not in dire driving conditions. Make sure you always have good tires on your car. That is the ONLY touchpoint between you and the road, so buy the best tires you can afford.”

Muzio said to make sure you get the proper tires for the driving conditions.

“Drivers should only feel as confident as the tires those systems are connected to,” Muzio said. “AWD and 4WD do zero to improve braking ability on snow and ice. If you need to get up a hill, AWD and 4WD are helpful. I’ll add that some more advanced AWD systems can apportion power to certain tires to help guide a car around a corner. That’s helpful. But if that car rides on summer tires, AWD can’t magically make those tires grip.”

Also, note that AWD and 4WD systems vary, Muzio said. “Most crossovers have open differentials front and rear. When one tire starts slipping, an open differential can’t easily send power to the other tire. Meaning the vehicle won’t necessarily be able to climb steep, slippery roads. Conversely, a torque vectoring AWD system or 4WD with locking differentials will be much more able to get power to the ground in slippery conditions.”

6. Keep a Full Tank of Gas or Stay Fully Charged

Fill up your gas tank ahead of the storm and keep it full. You don’t want to run out of gasoline if you end up stuck for hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic during a snowstorm, sleet, or ice storm. When the tank gets half empty, fill it up. Stay fully charged or at least at 80% as much as possible in an electric car. Know your electric vehicle’s systems that eat up battery charge, including blasting the heat. Instead, keep seat warmers (if equipped) on low and use your systems sparingly to preserve battery power.

7. Invest in Sand

You probably will get stuck in the snow this winter. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep a bag of sand or cat litter in the car. Place sand or cat litter under the drive wheels if you get stuck. Straighten the wheels and accelerate slowly.

Do not spin the tires because you likely will dig deeper into the snow, making it more difficult to move on.

8. Educate Your Teen Drivers on Driving in Snow

There may be a few exceptions, but probably close to 100% of us learned the basics of driving on dry pavement. To prepare teens for winter driving, take them to a parking lot that is covered with snow to demonstrate braking, steering, accelerating, and decelerating. Do this before the driver hits the slippery streets on their own, Phillips said.

9. Respect Snowplows

Snowplow drivers focus on clearing roadways. At the same time, the snowplow driver may be on the radio getting instructions from a superintendent. As a result, it could be that peripheral vision gets obstructed by the flying snow and the truck’s big snowplow. The driver may not see your vehicle. “You need to be very cognizant of what they are doing,” Phillips said.

In addition, watch out when driving next to a snowplow on a major roadway. The snow that flies off the sides of the plow can hit your windshield, making it difficult and near impossible to see the road. To be safe, keep a distance from any snowplow on the road.

10. Watch for Deer

Keep an eye out for changing weather conditions and deer. November is the No. 1 month for vehicle collisions with deer, followed by October and December. “The erratic behavior of deer, unfortunately, is happening during the snow season,” Phillips said.

11. Be on the Lookout for Black Ice

The pavement looks wet, but it is actually ice-covered. Black ice is the term used to describe this condition. During the day, the ice and snow may thaw. But as the temperature drops in the late afternoon or evening, water may turn to ice on the roadway. “Pay attention to changing temperature conditions,” Phillips said.

Many vehicles post the outside temperature on the instrument panel display or elsewhere in the vehicle — as it gets close to or below freezing, beware.

12. Don’t Use Cruise Control

Resist the urge to use cruise control, including adaptive cruise control, when driving in snow, ice, or slush. The road may be wet, but there still might be black ice or unplowed snow ahead.

These conditions could result in losing control of the vehicle when driving on cruise control because the system may not react as quickly as you can if you feel a loss in traction.

13. Get New Wiper Blades

Safety first! Streaky and dull wiper blades need to be replaced. Your vision through the windshield will look better only when the wiper blades get replaced. Want to find out the cost of replacing your wiper blades? Check out our maintenance and repair pricing tool and Service and Repair guide to help price new wiper blades.

14. Fill Up Windshield Washer Fluid

Frequently check the windshield fluid. Use a liquid that does not freeze and keep a gallon of the fluid in the vehicle. This will help keep you safe if you run out. Always keep an extra gallon in the car during winter.

15. Clean Headlights, Taillights

Don’t forget your car’s headlights, said Kelley Blue Book’s Spedden. Headlights can get quickly covered with snow, ice, and slush.

“I’ve had to stop and remove ice sheets off my headlights because you see them slowly getting dimmer and dimmer.” He also suggests that if you drive in a car like a Rivian with flat headlights, those require special care.

Use a microfiber towel, tissue, paper towel, or newspaper to clean each light. As a driver, you want to see as far as possible ahead, and you want drivers to see you, too.

A headlight’s or taillight’s visibility can be reduced by over 50% if the lights are covered with winter grime. Keep extra microfiber towels in the car for this purpose.

16. Check Tire Pressure and Tread

Check tires monthly to determine that each tire is properly inflated and that each has a sufficient amount of tread. If the tread looks worn down, replace your tires. That’s where your local automotive dealership service department or tire retailer comes in, supplying you with the same original equipment manufacturer (OEM) tires that your vehicle wore when it first rolled off the assembly line.

According to Woodward, keep your tires “properly maintained, rotated, with enough psi (pounds per square inch) to properly do their job. And if you need winter or snow tires, get them.”

By keeping your tires in shape, you’ll be able to drive safely and properly as you enter any ice, snow, slush, and generally wet conditions. While you’re at it, inspect the spare tire and carry a portable air compressor for emergencies.

17. Should I Put My Windshield Wipers Up When it Snows?

No. If your car is parked and it’s snowing, it’s never a good idea to leave your windshield wipers up because doing so could cause damage to the springs. It’s best to use other methods to keep your wipers — and vehicle — free of snow. For example, you could use a car cover.

18. Keep Your Tire Repair Kit Current

Some automakers started replacing the spare tire with a tire repair kit. The kit consists of a small compressor, hose, and a bottle of thick, sticky sealant that is forced through the valve into the tire. AAA recommends checking the kit’s expiration date and replacing it when necessary. Some kits should be replaced every four years.

19. Don’t Block the Radiator with Cardboard

Some drivers in the Snowbelt regions place a large piece of cardboard in front of the vehicle’s radiator. The purpose is to increase the temperature of the coolant flowing through the engine and radiator. This, in turn, increases the temperature of the air flowing through the heat exchanger, giving passengers a toasty environment.

That is not a great idea because cardboard prevents airflow from coming across the radiator, which could cause the engine to overheat. If the driver forgets to remove the cardboard when the outside temperature rises above freezing, there could be serious, expensive engine damage, leaving you stranded on the highway.

20. Carry Emergency Supplies

Plan for the unexpected. Pack non-perishable food, bottled water, blankets, flashlight, smartphone, smartphone battery, first-aid kit, air compressor, tire-pressure gauge, a small shovel, jumper cables, an extra jacket, boots, gloves, and your prescription medications.

As above, a bag of cat litter or sand that can be used for traction under a tire is also a good idea. It might also come in handy to keep a bag of environmentally-friendly ice melt in the car.