Weather conditions can change in a matter of minutes, placing extra demands on your vehicle and your driving skills

Gentle on the brakes

The suggestion that you accelerate as if there were an egg between your foot and the pedal also applies to braking – except, of course, in emergency situations. 

Allow plenty of space to slow down or stop. 

And begin early. 

You should apply the brake gently at first, then increase pedal pressure progressively as you begin to slow down. 

You can brake quite hard as long as the initial application is smooth.

Separate your actions

When driving on snow and ice, it is good practice to separate your control inputs – accelerating, braking, steering – so you do only one at a time, to the extent that's possible. If you are braking or accelerating, you'll have more traction for doing so if you don't steer at the same time, and vice versa. This way, all the available traction can be used for one purpose and the chances of inadvertently exceeding the tires' ultimate traction limit are reduced.

BEAT THE TRAFFIC : Get The App. Get There Sooner. Beat the Traffic helps ease your commute with recommended routes and real-time adjustments. Beat the Traffic by downloading it today for Apple and now on Android devices as well.

Brake before you turn into a corner, steer through the corner at a safe speed, and then accelerate again when you straighten out of it. It's that simple. Conscientiously apply those smoothness techniques and you will significantly reduce your winter driving risks.

This article was originally published on Autofile.ca.