GAC winter driving guide: how to drive safely on ice, from pre-trip checks to skid recovery
GAC has published a winter driving guide warning that ice often hides in plain sight, and that staying safe depends less on a special trick or drivetrain than on preparation, speed and smooth inputs.
What Happened
Ice can hide in plain sight. Black ice is a thin layer of frozen moisture that can make a road look merely wet, and it is especially difficult to spot at night, in low light or when the surrounding pavement is clear. Bridges, overpasses, shaded sections, curves and intersections can freeze before other surfaces because they lose heat more quickly or get less direct sunlight, so a road that looked safe minutes earlier can hold isolated low-grip patches. Tires need contact with the road to accelerate, change direction and stop, and ice reduces the grip available for all three tasks. All-wheel drive or four-wheel drive may help a vehicle move away from a slippery start, but it does not create extra traction when the driver brakes or turns, and there is no universal safe speed for every icy road.
- Inspect tire condition, tread and pressure, and make sure tires are suitable for the season and matched to the vehicle manufacturer's instructions; in sustained cold, snow or ice, winter tires may give more appropriate grip than standard tires.
- Approved chains or other traction devices may be required or useful in some conditions, but their use depends on local rules, road conditions and the vehicle manual.
- Remove ice and snow from every window, mirror, light, sensor and the roof, and check the wipers, washer fluid, defrosters and exterior lights.
- Check weather warnings and road restrictions, choose a route that avoids unnecessary steep sections and allow extra time so there is no pressure to hurry.
- Make sure fuel or battery charge covers delays, and carry a charged phone, warm clothing, an ice scraper and other locally appropriate emergency supplies.
- If the trip is not essential and conditions are deteriorating, postponing it is often the safest form of preparedness.
- Reduce speed before reaching a bridge, bend, descent or visibly shiny patch, because braking while already turning or crossing unexpected ice leaves less room to recover.
- Apply the accelerator, brake and steering gradually, keep steering movements small, avoid abrupt throttle changes and skip sudden lane changes or unnecessary overtaking.
- Leave much more following distance than on dry pavement; if another driver follows closely, resist the temptation to speed up and let that vehicle pass only when it can do so safely.
- Cruise control is better avoided on icy roads unless the vehicle manual gives specific guidance, because it can reduce a driver's ability to respond smoothly when traction changes.
- Driver-assistance features can support awareness but do not replace observation or judgement; be ready to take control when markings, sensors or road conditions are unclear.
Do most of the braking before a turn and keep the vehicle as straight as possible while slowing. If the anti-lock braking system activates, the pedal may pulse or vibrate; the guide says to maintain firm, steady pressure and steer toward the intended safe path rather than pumping the pedal, unless the vehicle manual gives different instructions for a specific system. Approach bends at a speed that leaves room for a gentle steering movement, and avoid heavy braking or sudden acceleration while turning, because the tires are already using part of their limited grip to change direction. On a descent, select a suitable lower gear or use engine braking only as supported by the vehicle manual, with the aim of reducing the need for a sudden brake application. On an incline, use gentle accelerator input and avoid repeatedly spinning the wheels, which can polish snow or ice and make the surface even more slippery.
- Stay calm and ease off sudden accelerator or steering inputs; a skid can feel faster than it is and provoke overcorrection, so look toward the safe path and make small corrections rather than staring at the obstacle.
- If the front tires lose grip and the vehicle continues straighter than the steering angle suggests, ease off the accelerator and reduce the steering angle slightly, giving the tires time to regain grip before steering again.
- If the rear steps out, look in the direction you want to travel and use a small, controlled steering correction in line with trained skid-recovery technique, avoiding sharp countersteering or sudden braking.
- If the vehicle is stuck, a collision occurs or the road no longer feels manageable, move as far from moving traffic as safely possible, use hazard lights where appropriate and contact local emergency or roadside services without standing in a live lane.
- If snow may be blocking the exhaust, avoid running the engine in an enclosed or poorly ventilated place.
- Fundamental, because they create the available contact with the road.
- Can help with traction when moving away, but cannot guarantee shorter braking distances or better cornering on ice.
- Stop when road authorities advise against travel, visibility becomes unsafe, the vehicle is not properly prepared or the tires repeatedly lose grip.
- Choose a safe stopping place away from live traffic; waiting, rerouting or asking for assistance is safer than continuing just because the destination is close.
- There is no single following distance that works on every icy road: leave substantially more room than normal and increase it further when visibility is poor, the road is downhill or traffic is unpredictable.
- When ABS activates, keep firm, steady pressure and steer toward the safest available path; ABS helps maintain steering control but cannot create traction the icy surface does not provide.
Why this matters
The guidance is aimed at ordinary drivers heading out in winter conditions, and its central point is that no drivetrain or electronic system removes the grip limits of a frozen surface. It argues that preparation before setting off, extra following distance and smooth steering, braking and accelerator inputs matter more than any single technique. The source adds that local weather warnings, road rules, tire requirements and vehicle instructions always take priority over general advice.
Terms in This Story
- Black ice
- A thin layer of frozen moisture on a road that can make the surface look merely wet, making it hard to identify as ice.
- All-wheel drive
- A drivetrain that can send power to all wheels, which can help a vehicle move away from a slippery start but does not create extra grip for braking or turning.
- Anti-lock braking system
- A braking system that helps prevent the wheels from locking under hard braking so the driver can keep steering; the pedal may pulse or vibrate while it operates.
- Winter tires
- Tires designed for sustained cold, snow or ice conditions that may provide more appropriate grip than standard tires.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.