Car prep and driving tips offered with freezing rain expected

February 5, 2018 – Oklahomans are expected to get their first experience of the season driving on ice Tuesday. With freezing rain forecasted, AAA is urging drivers to prepare their cars and their driving mentality for dangerous conditions. “White knuckle driving on slick roads often intensifies when roadways have increased traffic, especially during rush hour,” Mark Madeja, AAA spokesperson, said. Rough weather conditions are a factor in more than half-a-million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter, according to research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Before icing conditions arrive:

• Carry a winter weather kit in your car: Contents should include a fully charged cellphone (and car charger), ice scraper, blanket, warm winter clothing, flashlight with extra batteries, jumper cables, a bag of kitty litter, reflective triangles/flares, shovel and cloth/paper towels.
• Windshield wipers: Pull wipers away from your windshield to prevent them from freezing to the windshield.
• Use the right windshield washer solvent: Make sure windshield washer solvent is the correct type for winter. Summer rated solvents will freeze and can cause cracking and serious damage to the washer reservoir.
• Dry and lubricate surfaces: Wipe down and dry weather strips and surfaces around doors and windows. Apply a lubricant (WD40, cooking spray and even Vaseline work well) to the weather stripping to prevent freezing.

Safe driving tips on icy roads:

“If freezing rain occurs, ice-coated roadways can be treacherous,” said Madeja. “Motorists should heed travel warnings and stay off the roads unless they absolutely must venture out.”

• Slow down: Accelerate, turn and brake gradually. Adjust your speed to the road conditions and leave yourself ample room to stop. Allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
• Do not tailgate: Normal following distances of three to four seconds on dry pavement should be extended to a minimum of eight to ten seconds when driving on slippery surfaces. The extra time will provide additional braking room should a sudden stop become necessary. 
• Watch the traffic ahead: Slow down immediately at the sight of brake lights, fishtailing cars, sideways skids or emergency flashers ahead.
• Never use cruise control on slippery roads: Patches of ice can cause unexpected wheel spin and use of cruise control can slow driver response.
• Avoid unnecessarily changing lanes: This increases the chances of hitting a patch of ice between lanes that could cause loss of vehicle control.
• Use extreme caution on bridges and overpasses: Black ice typically forms first in shaded areas of the roadway and on bridges and overpasses that freeze first and melt last. Although the road leading up to a bridge may be fine, the bridge itself could be a sheet of ice.

Tips for braking on ice:

• Minimize the need to brake on ice: If you’re approaching a stop sign, traffic light or other area where ice often forms, brake early on clear pavement to reduce speed. Maintaining control of your vehicle is much more difficult when braking on ice-covered roadways.
• Control the skid: In the event of a skid, ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
• If your car has an anti-lock braking system (ABS): Do not remove your foot from the brake during a skid. When you apply the brakes hard enough to make the wheels lock momentarily, you will typically feel the brake pedal vibrate and pulsate back against your foot. This is normal and the system is working as designed. Do not release pressure on the pedal or attempt to “pump” the brakes.
• If your car does not have an anti-lock braking system: Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to modulate the pressure applied to the brake pedal so the brakes are at the “threshold” of lockup but still rotating.

After ice covers cars:

• Ice coated windshield/windows: NEVER pour hot water on windshield or windows, this can cause the glass to break. Use vehicle defrosters to melt ice for easier removal. Don’t use windshield wipers to remove ice – this will damage the blades.
• Frozen windows: Do not continue to push the power window buttons if the window is frozen, it can damage the mechanics inside the door and can also cause the window to break.
• Frozen locks: Never use water to thaw frozen locks, instead use commercial deicing products or heat the key and lock with a hair dryer. A lighter can also be used to heat the key.
• Frozen windshield wipers: If windshield wipers are frozen to the windshield, use the heater and defroster to melt the ice before turning the windshield wipers on. When you arrive at your destination remember to pull the windshield wipers away from the windshield to prevent refreezing.

Oklahoma’s 406,000 AAA members can rely on emergency roadside service, if needed, from trained automotive technicians. Those without AAA can go online to sign up at aaaok.org or visit a convenient AAA retail location Monday. “Everyone needs a plan for experienced and reliable roadside assistance should the unexpected occur on icy roads this week,” Madeja said.