Wondering how to drive safely on a snow-covered road? Follow these incredibly helpful tips!
No one can deny the fact that snowfall is pretty spectacular! However, snow and ice tend to cover the roads and pose a lot of challenges for drivers such as skidding vehicles, hidden obstacles, and more. If you’re not careful while driving on a snow-covered road, then you can even land yourself in a road accident. This is why you must drive carefully on a road covered with snow.
Here are some tips that will help you drive safely on a snow-covered road:
Invest in Winter Tires
Make sure that you install high-quality winter tires on your BMW before taking it on a snow-covered road. Also, always check the tread depth of your winter tires before starting your journey, especially when you’re about to head on a long drive through the mountains. Additionally, your tires should have the right pressure, which needs to be adapted to the load of your vehicle.
Prepare for the Drive
When driving in winters, make sure to prepare for your journey. Clean your car so that it is free of snow and ice. Scrape the snow off the windshield in one direction so that you don’t smear the shield. Make sure to check your headlights and fix your rear-view and side mirrors. Also, check to see if your cameras are fully functional or not.
Avoid Obstacles on the Road
If an obstacle appears on the snow-covered road suddenly, make sure to press on the brakes firmly and gently steer your car away from the obstacle and out of harm’s way. Also, don’t focus on what the object is as it will only distract you from your driving. Instead, focus on the gap into which you want to glide your car because you tend to drive toward the thing that you’re looking at.
Switch on the DTC on an Incline
When there’s snow or ice on the road, then it can become a bit tricky to go up an incline. If there’s too much snow stuck in the grooves of your tire and you’re unable to move your car up the incline, then you must switch on the Dynamic Traction Control System (DTC). It will greatly help your car’s tires to grip the road by preventing them from spinning too fast. If you’re driving a manual car, then step on the accelerator and switch to the next gear as soon as possible.
Turn on the DSC System
Cars tend to skid on a snow-covered road, which makes them difficult to control. So, it’s best to switch on the Dynamic Stability Control System (DSC) and keep it on throughout winter. This will greatly help you maintain control over your vehicle by stabilizing it. Additionally, even with the DSC on, you need to drive as safely as possible; don’t drive rashly on a snow-covered road.
Distribute the Boot and Carrier Weight Evenly
If you’re going on a long road trip during winter, then you’re bound to have a lot of luggage. However, when packing your winter luggage in the boot of your BMW, make sure to never stack it higher than the bottom edge of the window. If you need more storage space, then invest in a rooftop cargo carrier. Just make sure to distribute the load as evenly as possible when loading the luggage in the carrier; put the bulk of the weight in the center and keep the front and the back as light as possible.
Pro Tip: the heavier your car is, the longer it will take for it to brake and come to a standstill. So, make sure to put the brakes on at a safe distance.
Use Snow Chains Properly
When using snow chains on your BMW’s tires, always drive with the DTC system on. Also, after every 100 meters, make sure to check the tension on the chain. Moreover, don’t drive faster than 30mph so that you don’t put extra pressure on the chains and they don’t break from the repeated friction.
Make sure to follow the aforementioned tips to drive safely on a snow-covered road. Also, if you feel that your car is not performing at its optimal level, then get it serviced right away to avoid any mishaps.
If you want to get your BMW serviced, then visit our website today!
