Consumer Reports on Safety: Stay safe while driving this winter

If you live in the Northeast, chances are you may not have even realized it was winter until this week (if you live in Colorado, of course, it's another story). But with temperatures hovering in the teens all across the region this week, there's no mistaking the season. And that makes this as good a time as any for us to reiterate some tips for safe winter driving. The tips below come from our colleagues on the Consumer Reports auto team. For more details, be sure to visit CR's complete Guide to Safe Winter Driving. There you'll find information on winterizing your car, what to do in a roadside emergency, and more.

Pick the right tires. If you need to drive a lot in slippery conditions, it's a good idea to replace worn tires before the winter months, rather than wait until spring.
Clear off the snow and ice before driving. If snow has fallen since your car was parked, take the time to thoroughly brush it off the vehicle--including the roof--and scrape any ice from the windows.
Accelerate slowly to reduce wheel spin. If starting from a standstill on slick snow or ice, start in second gear if you have a manual transmission so the vehicle is less likely to spin the tires.
Reduce your speed and drive smoothly. In slippery conditions, tires lose their grip more easily, affecting all aspects of your driving: braking, turning, and accelerating.
Allow longer braking distances. Plan on starting your braking sooner than you normally would in dry conditions to give yourself extra room, and use more gentle pressure on the brake pedal.
Don't lock your wheels when braking. Locked wheels can make the vehicle slide or skid. If you have a vehicle without an antilock braking system (ABS), you may need to gently apply the brakes repeatedly to avoid having them lock up the wheels. If your vehicle has ABS, simply depress the brake pedal firmly and hold it down.
Perform one action at a time when accelerating, braking, and turning. Asking a vehicle to do two things at once--such as braking and turning, or accelerating and turning--can reduce your control. When taking a turn, for instance, slowly apply the brakes while the vehicle is going straight.
Avoid sudden actions when cornering. A sudden maneuver--such as hard braking, a quick turn of the steering wheel, sudden acceleration, or shifting a manual transmission--can upset a vehicle's dynamics when it's taking a turn. In slick conditions, this can cause it to more easily go out of control.
Be ready to correct for a slide. Should the rear end of the vehicle begin to slide during a turn, gently let off on the accelerator and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide. This will help straighten it out.
Don't let four- or all-wheel drive give you a false sense of security. 4WD and AWD systems only provide extra traction when accelerating. They provide no advantage when braking or cornering. And use the above tips no matter what type of vehicle you're driving.
Be extra wary of other motorists. They may not be driving as cautiously as you.