Michigan Technological University in Houghton Michigan, has been ranked by AccuWeather.com as the “Snowiest College in America.” Mark Osborne, conducts a Winter Driving School at the University’s Keweenaw Research Center when demand warrants. Osborne is an expert in winter driving training, vehicle mobility and dynamics. He offers the following advice.
• Many accidents occur when people panic, break hard and lock their wheels. Drivers should pump and release breaks long enough to let their wheels roll between lockups.
• When your tires are skidding or spinning, you may experience understeer or oversteer. To prevent understeer or oversteer, drive as smoothly as possible. Don't slam on the brakes, squeeze them. Squeeze the accelerator gently. Turn the steering wheel slowly and gently and use only one turn of the wheel through a corner.
• When climbing a hill, gain speed and momentum before you start uphill. Take off slowly. Stay on unpacked snow or powder where possible; it will give you better traction.
• Descend a hill slowly, shifting into a lower gear to use engine drag rather than brakes to reduce your speed. The shoulder may offer better traction than the driving lane itself, which gets slippery from tire traffic.
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