Whether you’re a Colorado native, a new resident or a visiting tourist, driving in Colorado’s winter weather can be dangerous if you’re not prepared.
Winter weather can quickly change road conditions and not all drivers know what they’re doing in the snow, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Colorado drivers and passengers are 2.5 times more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a crash during winter than at other times during the year, state patrol officials said.
From the first snowfall to the last in winter 2023, 5,691 crashes occurred during snowy weather conditions, according to Colorado Department of Transportation data. In those crashes, 534 people were injured and eight died.
Here’s how to stay safe when driving in the snow:
1. Prepare your car before leaving
“Take a little extra time to clear your car of snow and ice before leaving for your destination,” CDOT officials said.
While no law in Colorado specifically addresses clearing snow from a car’s windshield before driving it, leaving chunks of snow and ice can cause visibility issues, which is illegal, state officials said.
Under Colorado law, a vehicle can only be operated if the driver’s vision through any required glass equipment is normal and unobstructed.
Even if the windshield wipers can clear up the powder and give the driver an unobstructed view of the road temporarily, leaving snow on the roof of your car is still dangerous, state officials said. Snow blowing off the roof can slide back over the windshield or block the view of drivers behind you.
2. Go easy on the pedals
Using too much force on the gas or the brakes, or switching between pedals too quickly, is a recipe for disaster, CDOT officials said.
If a driver needs to slow down, it’s better to lift the foot off the accelerators and allow the car to slow naturally. When traveling downhill, where brakes are necessary, drivers should switch to a lower gear and gently tap their brakes to avoid burning the pads and to keep traction, state officials said.
“There are three actions you do most when you drive: accelerate, turn and brake,” CDOT officials said. “In winter weather, you should only do one of those actions at a time.”
Trying to do more than one at once or switching between them too quickly can cause skidding, sliding, spin-outs and more, according to CDOT officials.
3. Mind your speed and leave extra space
Speed is the biggest fast in winter crashes as drivers go too fast for the conditions, state patrol officials said.
“Confidence in the snow doesn’t mean driving recklessly. If you are truly an experienced winter driver, you know to adjust your speed to the conditions at hand,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Lower your speed, let people around you go the pace they choose to remain in control of their vehicle and give everyone some extra space.”
Drivers should be extra careful when approaching or passing snow removal equipment with flashing yellow lights, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Division of Motor Vehicles.
“It is illegal to pass a city, county or state-operated snow plow while it’s working with its yellow lights flashing and is driving in tandem with one or more other snow plows,” Colorado DMV officials said.
4. What to do in a skid
There are three types of skids: front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel.
A rear-wheel skid happens when the back of the car starts to sway left to right like a fishtail and a front-wheel skid is when a car’s front end continues moving in a straight line regardless of how much the driver turns the steering wheel, according to roadside assistance company AMA. An all-wheel skid happens when the entire car starts drifting in the wrong direction and is often the result of a driver entering a curve too quickly.
Whenever the car starts to skid, the driver should take their foot off both the brake and the accelerator pedal, loosely hold the wheel and look where they want to go, Colorado DMV officials said. Drivers should not look at the object they’re trying to avoid skidding into.
“If you have anti-lock brakes, press the pedal down firmly and hold it,” Colorado Springs officials said. “If you don’t have anti-lock brakes, gently pump the pedal. Either way, give yourself plenty of room to stop. Never slam on the brakes.”
A car with four-wheel drive won’t help a driver stop faster or maintain control any better once they lose traction, city officials said.
City officials said drivers should:
- Accelerate gradually on snow;
- Avoid abrupt steering maneuvers and merge slowly on ice, snow and wet roads to avoid sliding or skidding;
- Look farther ahead in traffic than drivers normally do to see problems more quickly.
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Originally Published: October 30, 2024 at 12:38 PM MDT
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