Driving in the snow? We know that this is not a situation that Brazilians usually face. However, many tourists choose to rent a car when they visit other countries or venture on car trips towards our neighbors, Chile and Argentina. Often, these drivers arrive uninformed and without any technique to drive on roads covered by ice and snow. For further info, click here: best tire chains

Some cautions before hitting the road

1) To ensure your safety when driving in the snow, care starts with preventive maintenance of the car: tires, ignition, battery, radiator, water, oil and brake operation are mandatory items on the checklist of the mechanic responsible for the vehicle evaluation . If you are renting the car, check with the rental person that the vehicle has been properly checked.

2) Did you know that there are special tires for these situations? They guarantee greater adherence to the ground and, therefore, much more safety! For very extreme situations, such as in snowfall, protect your tires with chains to reinforce safety. Lowering the tire pressure also increases the grip on the ground, but when the snow is more consistent and the accumulation is greater, the use of chains is essential!

3) Keep the gas tank full! This item is very important, especially for some emergency cases in which it will be necessary to recalculate routes and travel a few kilometers more than originally planned.

4) Before leaving home, look for information about road conditions and weather. Informing someone you know about your itinerary and departure time is also valid in these cases! If the weather forecast is not favorable, the ideal is to give up the trip!

5) In addition to a cell phone, some extra coats and blankets, take with you other essential items that can be very useful in emergency situations, such as non-perishable food, shovel, flashlights, first aid kit, tapes and reflective clothing to call the attention of the emergency services if they are triggered by you.

6) Before starting the car, if necessary, remove excess snow or ice on the windshield and bodywork. Watch out for the exhaust pipe, it may be clogged with ice or snow, which could cause a lot of damage. After this procedure, it is recommended to clean and defog the windows to ensure the best possible view for the driver.

On the road

7) When leaving, the headlights must always be kept on and it is also necessary to keep a good distance from the vehicles in front of the car, since the space needed to brake on more slippery roads is much greater. Keep twice the space you usually use on your usual trips.

8) For this reason, it is also recommended to maintain all possible control over the speed of the vehicle. Be very careful when overtaking and in areas of asphalt that are darker, they are usually even smoother and can destabilize the vehicle more easily.

9) It is important that you know that there are some types of vehicles that circulate on the highways to clean the roads, try to be patient and never exceed. There is possibly a large accumulation of snow or ice ahead!

Be careful when parking

10) Select the place where you will park the vehicle carefully, it must be visible to other drivers to avoid accidents.

11) Look for a place where your car will not be in danger of being immobilized by the accumulation of ice and snow. Therefore, covered places are more recommended.

Emergency Situations

13) If you get stuck in the snow, call for help as soon as possible!

14) Open the vehicle windows a little, do not sleep and try to keep your body warm and moving.

15) If you need to get out of the vehicle, wear appropriate clothing and look for the nearest shelter. In cases of snowfall or if the weather conditions are not suitable, do not leave the vehicle and wait for the rescue service.