During the icy weather, Ust-Kamenogorsk emergency department specialists urge car owners and pedestrians to be extremely careful and attentive.

According to statistics, about 40% of all accidents in winter are caused by ice and snow. The main driving conditions for drivers are discretion, low speed and extreme caution. A pedestrian in icy conditions lies in wait for two dangers - slipping and falling, or being hit by a car. With the onset of cold weather, the number of street injuries increases: bruises, dislocations and fractures. According to doctors, on such days the number of victims doubles. To reduce the likelihood of falling, it is necessary to observe the following rules of behavior in icy conditions: Attention and caution are the main principles of behavior that should be strictly adhered to in icy conditions.

- When moving along a slippery street, do not rush, avoid sudden movements, constantly look at your feet; if you need to look around, do not do it on the go - it is better to stop. The legs should be slightly relaxed and bent at the knees, while the body is slightly tilted forward. Habitually keeping your hands in your pockets on ice is dangerous: if you fall, there will hardly be time to take them out and grab something. Elderly people are advised to get a rubber-padded cane -noted Valentin Litvinenko, the head of the Civil Defense Department of the UChS city of Ust-Kamenogorsk.

Steps are a huge danger in icy conditions; but if you still have to go down a slippery staircase, then you need to put your foot along the step, in case of loss of balance, this position allows you to slide down, as accurately as possible in a similar situation in principle.

Rescuers advise residents to prepare low-slip shoes, attach metal heels or foam rubber to the heels, and stick an adhesive plaster or electrical tape on a dry sole, on a dry sole and heel (make the sticker crosswise or with a ladder), and step in the sand before going out. You can rub the sole with sandpaper before going out.

It is necessary to move carefully on ice, stepping on the entire sole. Legs should be slightly relaxed when walking, hands free. If you slip, squat down immediately to lower your fall. Group up to avoid falling backwards, roll as you hit the ground to soften the force of the blow.

If you feel like a fall is imminent, sit down and bend over to the side, as hockey players do. An unsuccessful fall on the back is fraught with injury to the spine, and on arms outstretched - a fracture of the shoulder or wrist, so try to group yourself: press your elbows to your sides, pull your head into your shoulders, and strain your muscles. If, at the moment of contact with the ground, you manage to roll (such a roll significantly reduces the force of the impact), then, most likely, the maximum that you face is a bruise or a small bruise. Such actions are obtained, as a rule, from those who go in for sports - regular training helps to develop the desired reaction, maintain balance in an emergency.

First aid can be provided on the spot. If a limb is injured, then first of all it is necessary to immobilize it, fix it with a splint, make a supporting bandage on the arm; for this, objects that are always nearby can be used: a board, a scarf, a scarf. In order to relieve swelling, reduce pain to a bruise or fracture, it is advisable to apply something cold, snow is quite suitable for this. Having been injured, you should not self-medicate; be sure to go to the hospital without delay.

Memo for car enthusiasts: how to drive in ice

The main winter advice is to reduce by two to three times the intensity of your acceleration, braking and cornering, and then there will be no problems on a slippery road.

Be especially careful when pressing the brake pedal on ice. When driving a car equipped with an ABS system, the computer will tell you to unlock the wheels if they lock up while driving on ice. However, one should not place high hopes on electronics, it is better to cope on your own.

Pressing the pedal should be intermittent, then the car can be steered confidently. If a professional brakes intermittently when driving a car, this may not be noticed. You should use the brake pedal quickly, to the point of locking the wheels, but you should not get too carried away with this technique. Some drivers who already have driving experience turn off the ABS in icy conditions. Still, you should not do this, you can make mistakes when braking.

In ice, it is customary to apply engine braking without turning off the ignition and transmission. This should be done in this way: a) reset the fuel supply without disengaging the clutch, b) squeeze the clutch, turn on the lower gear, c) turn on the clutch again.

The engine will rev up and the vehicle speed will gradually decrease. In this case, you can smoothly press the brake pedal. This general braking is quite convenient.
When driving an all-wheel drive vehicle, braking with both methods gives almost the same results. However, if you brake on ice in both ways at the same time, the vehicle speed will not decrease much. Most drivers still prefer engine braking when braking on ice.

Important: you need to drive in deep snow without stopping and shifting gears. If you get stuck in the snow, do not let the wheels slip for a long time. It is possible to maneuver on the ice, but very carefully, without making any sudden movements. Any sharp maneuvering, especially outside the well-worn track on the road, threatens that the car may start to turn. An emergency situation will arise, which in urban traffic conditions often leads to serious accidents. The rule is that on a road covered with ice, the distance between cars should be equal to the speed of the car, multiplied by two. Keep your distance!

When choosing a speed, do not forget that on snow the braking distance is almost tripled.

Ice forms near public transport stops and in front of traffic lights from frequent braking, be especially careful here.

By following these simple tips, you will be able to secure your car movement on ice.

"Until the snow falls, the man won't change his clothes." The reasons for the belated change of summer tires to winter ones can be various factors: long queues for tire fitting, impending warming or simple disorganization of transport owners. It is not always convenient for a person with a family to spend a day off on a comprehensive change of footwear. And I don't want to take a day off on weekdays. Therefore, many take risks and go on a slippery path in wheels out of season. What if you find ice on the way?

Freeze from the cold

In cold weather, summer rubber turns to stone at about 3 degrees of heat. Its adhesion to asphalt drops sharply. And where soft winter Velcro can stop the car in 20-30 meters, summer wheels are instantly blocked, ABS chirps, and the car rolls as if on skates.

For comparison, at temperatures above 7 degrees, the adhesion coefficient of summer tires is 0.5-0.7. And at temperatures below zero on an icy road: 0.08 - 0.15. With such figures, the car can easily be carried into a ditch.

And it is not so important how wide the tires are and whether they have a large radius and contact patch. According to Coulomb's law, which many remember from the school physics course, the pressure of the car on the surface and the coefficient of adhesion of the tire material are of decisive importance.

They even try to make winter tires narrower than summer ones in order to reduce the contact patch and increase the car's pressure on the road. Such wheels will better "bite" into the ice surface. All rally winter tires are very narrow and studded with long studs.

Brake by the motor

How can you increase the grip of summer tires? From the school physics course, we remember that static friction is higher than sliding friction, which is why rolling wheels always hold onto the surface better than those blocked by brakes. And it's easy to block them on ice. Therefore, it is better to brake with the engine and transmission. Shifting down the gears will create additional friction inside the mechanisms, which will help bring down the car. In this case, the action of the forces causing slipping on the wheels will be reduced.

If you turn on the second gear on ice and accelerate to 40-50 km / h on it, then when you release the gas, you can see how the car effectively loses speed even on smooth ice. This does not require the brakes to be applied.

This practice not only improves braking efficiency, but also makes it possible to avoid drifts. On slippery surfaces and summer tires, you must always drive under traction, spinning the engine over 3 thousand revolutions.

Hook with iron

“If driving in a low gear of the transmission is not efficient enough, you can use another grandfather's method, namely, to lower the pressure in the tires,” says technical expert Denis Lukin. - If you play with the nipple and bring the pressure to 1 atmosphere, then the coefficient of adhesion of the flat wheel will reach approximately 0.10 - 0.20. The rubber crumples and resists slipping better due to its own structure. It is not recommended to drive in this way for a long time, because tire wear increases significantly. However, in icy conditions all means are good to overcome the dangerous section. "

If bad weather is found on a mountain road or on hills with steep inclines, then chains are required to climb the icy asphalt. They are made for almost all types of wheels, including for light vehicles, and are sold in car dealerships. After installation, the chain creates an additional stop for the wheel and bites into the pliable ice, preventing sliding friction from developing. A car on chains moves much better on ice and is able to move even on an ideal ice skating rink on summer tires. However, the speed of the car will not be high. It is not allowed to ride on chains over 40 km / h. Otherwise, they will tear and damage the sides of the vehicle.

In general, riding in the winter is fraught with surprises. Local ice formations can occur on overpasses open to all winds or between glades in forest plantations. Any turn can turn into a trap. Therefore, before entering the bridge and on gentle curves, where inertial forces pull the car sideways, it is best to slow down in advance. And the most correct thing is not to pull with rubber and switch to winter tires in time.

Changes in temperature and not even freezing rain, but, as the forecasters called it, "hypothermic". The drops freeze instantly, touching any surface. As a result, there were shells on cars, slippery roads and sidewalks, accidents, queues at emergency rooms.

So slippery that any movement - "Fell, woke up!" The main thing is not to break anything. Today the Internet is flooded with stories, how a simple trip to the store over and over again turned into a story from the category of "stay alive."

“I pushed off the subway and drove off. Slower than a bus, but nothing too "," Ice on the street. The dream that all men will be at my feet is starting to come true: while I was going to the store, I helped two to get up, and with one I even lay down next to me! " - say pedestrians.

Residents of the Central Federal District clearly did not expect this from the weather. A rare anomaly hit cities and towns last night. Strong wind with sleet, fog. And as a result - ice. She appeared everywhere at night. The utility workers did their best. But it seems that this time the forces were not equal in the battle with the weather. The ice on the roads grew faster than the reagents worked.

For motorists, the familiar ride turned into a test strip this morning. For a start - get the car out of the ice shell, and then - stay on the road when the tracks have actually turned into a skating rink. However, it was hardly easier for pedestrians.

“Many people fell, especially when they crossed the roads. These yellow curbs are very slippery. There is a lot of ice. It is impossible to walk on them "," I reached the metro and crossed myself. I took a bus from the metro to work and there it took small, small steps, ”the pedestrians say.

On the eve of Women's Day, the queues have tripled. But not for flowers - at the emergency rooms. Fractures, bruises, sprains - all stories, like a blueprint.

“Yesterday there was a plus, but at night it was minus, it rained with snow yesterday, hail. And it can be seen frozen, and that's it, there is ice all around, ”says the injured Nina Klyuchnikova.

Frost appeared not only on the roads. Here are the electric trains - the icy wires spark. And dozens of flights have been canceled and delayed at airports. By lunchtime, the capital is in milk. But, according to meteorologists, this is not the worst option yet. The most acute situation with the weather and ice may develop in Ivanovo, Yaroslavl and Vladimir regions.

Today's footage from Nizhny Novgorod is a confirmation. City center, zero grip.

Frost again tonight. Therefore, getting on a slippery road, everyone decides for himself how to prolong such an unexpected spring obstacle. Someone gets already packed skates from the mezzanine, but for someone the March "cats" became salvation.

“There is such a spearhead, they stick into the ice and do not let them slip,” says Margarita Lavanskaya.

Driving on ice is an extremely important skill, especially if you live in colder climates with harsh winters. Icing can happen suddenly and without warning, so you must be prepared every time you get into your car in cold weather. Bridges are especially dangerous in these conditions, as they are covered with ice earlier, due to the lack of warm ground under them. See Step 1 for tips on how to keep yourself safe when driving on ice.

Steps

Preparing the car for winter

Complete general maintenance. By the end of autumn, take your car to a service to undergo maintenance and make sure everything is in working order. Breakage is the last thing you need on ice, when snow also flies into the windshield. When you hand over your vehicle to winterize it, have a mechanic check the following and replace anything that is not working properly:

• Tires and tire pressure
• Battery
• Belts and hoses
• Radiator
• Brakes
• Exhaust system
• Heater
• Oil
• Lighting
• Ignition system
• Windscreen wipers

1. Fit new tires if your treads are worn out. Even if your mechanic thinks your tires will still last, but you need to drive in freezing weather, it's worth considering new tires. The biggest danger in winter driving is slipping on ice due to poor grip. This is a safety risk regardless of the condition of your tires, but if the tread depth becomes low, you are at greater risk of skidding.

   Check your tire pressure throughout the winter. In cold weather, tire pressure drops naturally. Insufficiently inflated tires can react incorrectly while driving, which can be dangerous when the road is icy. Check your tire pressures every few weeks to make sure they are fully inflated.

   • Use a pressure gauge to check the tire pressure. Check if the tire pressure is within the recommended level for your tires.
   • If you need to adjust the pressure, find a compressor (they can be found at gas stations and tire shops) and inflate the tires one at a time, checking the pressure from time to time so as not to over-pump them.

2. Consider purchasing chains. Chains and other devices designed for better grip on ice are good to have in your trunk in case a blizzard hits. The chains are not difficult to attach around the wheels and you can remove them as soon as the roads are dry again. Talk to your mechanic which type is best for your vehicle.

   • If you live in an area with steep hills and frequent icing, or in an area where snowblowers do not normally salt the streets, use regular striped chains that are easy to put on and take off when visibility is poor.
   • If you are traveling through an area known for frequent icy conditions, you may see road signs indicating that snow chains are required. If you're already on the road and haven't bought chains ahead of time, you can get them from most auto parts stores.

3. Expect your car to break down. The most important thing is to be ready at all times when driving in difficult winter conditions and in icy conditions. During the winter months, you should have cigarette lighter wires and an emergency kit in the trunk of your car. Also, in case you get stuck for a few hours, it is good to have a supply of food, water and blankets.

   • Always take your mobile phone with you if you are going to travel on ice. Minor accidents or more serious accidents are very common in icy conditions and you need to be able to seek help immediately.
   • You may also want to consider becoming a member of an automotive association, or have a local traffic control number.

   Making good driving decisions

   1. Clean the windows before driving out. Do not drive onto a road with frost or snow on the windows. You should have the best visibility while driving on ice and snow. Allow the vehicle to warm up slightly so that the windows are completely defrosted.

      • You also need to check if the wipers are frozen. If you will be riding in deep snow, it is very important that they function properly.
      • Make sure the side mirrors are also free of snow and ice.

   2. Try to drive through areas where snowblowers and road salt machines often pass. If you need to drive into a snowstorm, stay away from areas where there is little traffic, or that are so impassable that they do not salt and clean. Find a route to your destination that is not heavily congested, but busy enough to be cleared.

      • The salt melts the ice, allowing your tires to get better grip when you drive, but in very cold temperatures, it won't melt. In such cases, sand is sprinkled on the roads, which remains on the surface of the ice and contributes to better grip.
      • The main tracks are usually cleared immediately, but you need to avoid areas with heavy traffic. As a rule, in ice and snow, other drivers show worse qualities. Even if you know what you are doing, you shouldn't be surrounded by frightened drivers.
      • Watch out for salt-strewing vehicles and snow-clearing vehicles as they tend to travel slower than other vehicles on the road.

   3. Drive at half the speed limit, or lower if the road is ice. Driving too fast on snow and ice is a sure way to get off the road or get into an accident. Start slowly to check how grip your tires are. Find a comfortable speed where you can ride without slipping or losing control.

      • Typically, when snow hits the windshield, visibility drops, so you may have to slow down whether you like it or not. If you are having trouble seeing other vehicles, slow down even further.
      • While it is best to play it safe when driving in a slow lane, you should not drive too slow to obstruct the flow. Try to drive at the same speed as the cars around you to prevent other drivers from crashing into you from behind.

   4. Leave enough space between your vehicle and the next one. Do not stay too close to the vehicle, which you can easily hit if the driver suddenly hits the brakes. Leave enough room for the other car, or yours, to have room to maneuver when sliding or skidding without risk of collision.

      Watch out for ice and other hazards. The ice is almost impossible to see while you're on it. He is usually found in shaded areas and on the sides of the road. People tend to drive on it at high speed until they spot it, so ice is the cause of many accidents. Be extremely careful and, if there is the slightest chance that there may be ice on the road, try to drive slowly.

      • Overpasses and bridges freeze faster than the rest of the road, so drive through these areas as carefully as possible. As soon as it starts snowing, you must slow down and be extremely careful.
      • Another great danger in icy conditions is other cars. As mentioned, in a snowstorm, drivers often panic. Look in the mirrors more often and be as careful as possible to be able to react if you see a car rushing towards you.

   5. Park if necessary. If you are caught in a blizzard, or you cannot drive more than a few meters without skidding, it is better to just pull over and wait out the storm. It makes no sense to keep driving when you cannot see the road in front of you. Park in a safe place, such as on the side of the road or in a parking lot, and wait for the snow to subside before moving on.

   Using techniques to stay on the road

   1. Brake by rolling. A mistake many people make is when they feel that the wheels are starting to slide on the ice, hitting the brakes. This blocks the brakes and causes the tires to slip even more. This often results in a loss of vehicle control. Instead of hitting the brakes, hit them with a swing. Press the brake pedal gently with your foot if you want to slow down. The car will remain in your control by slowing down.

      • Have plenty of time to slow down. In case of a skid, start braking early to stop in time.
      • If you are not quite sure how and why you should brake by pitching, try to practice in a safe but slippery place, such as a completely empty car park with a large area. Drive on the ice a little, then hit the brake sharply. Do you see how the car skids? Now try again, this time rolling. The difference in control should be clear.

   2. Accelerate slowly. Your tires take time to gain traction. If you accelerate too fast, the wheels will slip and you may lose control of the vehicle. Accelerate very slowly and carefully to see if your tires have good traction. If you don't feel any grip, slow down and start over.

      • If you find yourself in a situation in which your tires are slipping, add sand or gravel in front of them. You may need to dig some snow around them to get them moving.
      • Slow acceleration is another technique you can try in an empty car park. Try to move the car in an icy area by pressing hard on the gas. Most likely the wheels will start to slip. Now try again, this time slowly applying the throttle and letting the tires engage.

   3. Learn how to get out of a skid. First, remove your foot from the accelerator pedal so that your car slows down and regains traction. Steer your car carefully wherever you want. If you twist and start sliding the other way, turn back in the right direction. There are some subtleties to get the car out of a skid. When you are heading in the right direction, you can gently apply the brakes or accelerate to regain control.

      • Remain calm if you get carried away. Resist the urge to compensate for this by twisting the wheel too much in the other direction. Easy, quiet handling will straighten your vehicle and get you back on the road.
      • Practice losing and regaining control of your vehicle in a safe place. Approach an icy area and accelerate on it so that your car skids. Get out of the skid gently by steering your vehicle wherever you want.
   • If you ever get stuck, stay calm and don't push hard on the gas pedal. This will only make matters worse by digging you deeper into the ground. Use the gas pedal very gently while turning the wheel from side to side to clear snow from the road. Sprinkle cat litter or gravel around your wheels if needed for added traction.
   • Put winter tires on your car if you expect a lot of snow and ice. Prepare and use chains only when snow and ice cover the road more or less continuously (they wear out quickly and can cause problems on dry asphalt).

Ice, snowstorm, snow porridge ... All this can unsettle even an experienced driver. When driving training you are unlikely to quickly and easily learn how to maneuver on our snowy roads. How to drive correctly in winter, what rules to follow and how to avoid problems on ice?

Five main principles

1. Keep a safe distance

Remember, when driving on ice, maintain a distance at least twice as much as in summer.

Pay special attention to roadsides and pedestrian crossings. If someone suddenly runs out onto the road, you will need more time to brake.

2. Brake correctly

What can be even worse for a motorist than ice on the road? It turns out that this is ice after heavy snowfall, that is, the road is covered with snow porridge. Winter tires grip the ice with spikes or, in the case of Velcro, contact patches. If the ice is covered with snow, the efficiency of winter tires is noticeably reduced.

Spikes and Velcro simply slide along the ice along with the snow, and no tight contact with the surface is formed.

In this situation, it is recommended to brake impulsively, that is, by 4-5 short-term pressing on the brake pedal. Such movements will not allow the ABS system to work, and, by the way, it almost doubles the braking distance on an icy road. Abruptly pressing the brake pedal on ice is the most common mistake drivers make. In this case, the wheels stop rotating, and the car continues to roll on the slippery surface.

3. There is no place for daredevils on ice

Only an experienced athlete can afford to make various dangerous maneuvers on the ice. But ordinary motorists are advised to refrain from such a ride. You should not "jump" at a yellow traffic light, turn around through tram tracks, brake and accelerate sharply. All this can lead to skidding of the car.

If you own a car with automatic transmission, then a good habit for the winter is to keep your foot above the brake pedal, not the gas, as is done in the summer.

It often happens that in the first seconds, when control over the situation is lost, the leg instinctively presses on the floor.

4. Dangerous track

Another danger often encountered in winter is the most common track. When driving through the “well-trodden path”, the car may start to skid to the side even at low speed. When driving through the winter track, never keep your hands tense.

So called yielding steering is great for these situations. Just let the car dangle left and right while still controlling the steering wheel.

When on a front-wheel drive car in a rut it skips the rear, you cannot brake, it is better to add gas. But in the case of rear-wheel drive, on the contrary, you need to reduce the speed.

5. No instincts!

It is very difficult to cope with a car that skidded and began to turn. More often than not, these "ice dancing" ends in an accident. But if you are cool and don't panic, you can still get out of the situation. Professionals advise in emergency cases to do things that seem unnatural at first glance: keep the steering wheel straight or turn it in the direction of a skid. If the car is spinning, then the wheels in straight position will quickly stop the body from rotating.

Is your car drifting to the right? Turn the steering wheel to the right, although you will, of course, to the left.

Recall that a skid is a situation when the back of the car is trying to overtake the front. To counterbalance this phenomenon, remember the following trick:

When you turn the car around on a slippery road, it will drive straight ahead naturally. Turn the steering wheel lightly towards the skid and apply the brake lightly. Light braking will shift the weight of the vehicle to the front axle, thus improving traction.

Overcoming the snowy road

If there is a snowdrift ahead, but you still need to get through somehow, do not be lazy, get out of the car and look around. There may be obstacles in the snow that you cannot overcome in your vehicle. For deep snow, it doesn't matter at all whether you have studded wheels or not. A good tread is more important here. But if the wheel does get to the frozen ground, the studs will help provide the best possible grip. When the snow cover is not very high, it is best to keep the tire pressure on. Inflated tires get to the ground faster and form a track easier.

When the rubber is cold, the tread becomes clogged with snow. On warm rubber, ice and snow melt, and the tread clears faster, so before the assault on the snow drifts, a slight slip will not hurt.

If the snow is deep, you can reduce the tire pressure to 1.5 atmospheres or even to one. Reduced pressure improves grip, increases surface contact and lowers specific load pressure. Remember to avoid sharp steering wheel turns and sudden slippage at low pressure.

Acceleration is necessary to easily overcome the snow-covered area. While driving, turn the steering wheel slightly to the right and left, pushing the snow in front of the wheels. Avoid turning. Otherwise, you will have to make four tracks at once.

If the car starts to slip, first stop, then put into reverse gear and back up along the same track. Then again acceleration and movement forward. On tamped snow, the wheels will lean better. Repeat the manipulation until the machine drives onto a hard surface.

Video about some of the rules for driving on ice:

Be careful on the road!

The article uses an image from the site news-r.ru